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Photographic 

Sciences 
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33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

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^ 


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1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

BOOKS  BY 

EVERETT   T.  TOMLINSON 


Camplns  on  the  St.  Lawrence 

Cloth    Illustrated    $1.50 
The  House  Boat  on  the  St.  Lawrence 

Cloth    Illustrated    $1.50 


LIBRARY  OF  HEROIC  EVENTS 

stories  of  the  American  Revolution— First  Series 

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WAR   OF   1812   SERIES 

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The  Search  for  Andrew  Field 

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Guarding  the  Border 

The  Boys  with  Old  Hickory 


LEE  AND   SHEPARD    Publishers  Boston 


Burt  tiikkw  himself  face  forward  upon  thk  ground.    Page  19. 


■'■"»»«>»..,,^ 


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Bl'HT   riJUl'.n     H(M^>.I,F    VAiK 


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FOKWAKi*   rroy   THK   <.R«m\h.      l*.itr(.  19. 


THE  HOUSE-BOAT  0^  THE 
ST.  LAWEEICE 


BY 


EVERETT  T.   TOMLINSON 

AUTHOR  OF  "CAMPING  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENr^  "   - 

WITH  OLD   HICKORY  "   "  ^-ot  ,^^*=^^«'  THE  BOYS 

"  A    T«o  "'^KORY,  TECUMSEH'S  YOUNG  BRAVF8  " 

A  JERSEY  BOY  IN  THE  REVOLUTION."   "wASH 
INGTON'S   YOUNG  AIDS."   "THE    BOYS  OF 
OLD  MONMOUTH,"  ETC.,   ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY  A.  B.  SHUTE 


BOSTON 
LEE  AKD  SHEPABD,  PUBLISHERS 

1900 


2^4242 


COPTBIOHT,   1900,   BY  LkB  AND  SuEPARn. 


All  liighta  Reserved. 


Tira  House-Boat  on  the  St.  Lawrenob. 


i: 


3.  8.  Cushing  &  Co.  -  Berwick  «t  Smith 
Norwood  Maat.  U.S.A. 


PKEFACE. 


In  this  tale  the  purpose  of  the  writer 
has  been  to  record  such  experiences  as  a 
party  of  four  college*  friends  might  have 
had  (and,  indeed,  did  have)  in  a  summer 
spent  upon  the  historic  and  beautiful  St. 
Lawrence.  It  is  his  belief  that  the  younger 
readers  have  no  fondness  ior  the  deeply 
laid  plot  or  the  introspective  and  analytic 
novel  so  dear  to  the  hearts  of  their  elders. 
Who  shall  say  that  their  uncorrupted  taste 
is  the  worse  for  that  fact  ? 

It  is  also  the  writer's  belief  that  young 
people  are  naturally  interested  in  the  his- 
torical records  of  their  own  land.  This 
interest  is  not,  perhaps,  in  the  philosophy 
of  history  or  in  the  lessons  which  history 
teaches,  but  rests  upon  the  actions  and 
stirring  experiences  of  bygone  years.  And 
this  is  the  pathway  which  leads  to  the 
larger  regions  beyond. 

Acting  upon  such  a  belief,  whether  it  be 
correct  or  no,  the  writer  has  endeavored  to 


lU 


iv 


PREFACE. 


interest  his  readers  in  some  of  the  eventful 
deeds  of  one  of  the  leaders  of  men  in  the 
New  World  in  its  earlier  days.  If  they 
shall  he  led  to  make  further  investigations 
of  their  own  and  to  read  some  of  the  noble 
works  of  the  great  historians,  he  will  feel 
that  his  labor  has  not  been  lost. 

In  a  word,  the  aim  of  the  writer  of  this 
story  has  been  to  present  a  healthful  and 
natural  tale  of  the  experiences  of  four  boys 
who  themselves  were  not  so  good  as  to  be 
compelled  to  die  young  nor  so  bad  as  to 
be  unworthy  of  the  friendship  of  all,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  incorporate  some  of 
the  historic  events  which  belong  to  the 
place  and  the  time.  The  many  kind  letters 
he  has  received  from  his  young  readers  has 
led  him  to  believe  that  he  has  not  entirely 
misunderstood  their  wishes  and  aims. 


Elizabeth,  New  Jebset. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAI'TKR 
I. 

COI.LKOK    FuiKNDrt       . 

7A0I 
1 

II. 

TiiK  Gamk 

.      14 

III. 

The  Pko.ikct    . 

.      30 

IV. 

The  Duiver 

.      42 

V. 

A  Welcome  from  Ethan 

.      57 

VI. 

The  School 

.      69 

VIT. 

PUEI'AUATK)N8    . 

.      83 

VIII. 

The  Stauting  of  the  IIousi 

B-Bo^ 

^t 

.      95 

IX. 

Anchored  .... 

.    107 

X. 

Interrupted  Sport. 

.    120 

XI. 

Frontenac 

.    133 

XII. 

A  Perilous  \entuse      . 

145 

XIII. 

An  Alarm         .        .        .        , 

157 

XIV. 

The  Boatman's  Heroism 

169 

XV. 

The  Search      .        .        .        . 

181 

XVI. 

In  Canadian  Waters    . 

193 

XVII. 

The  Narrative 

205 

tVIII. 

The  Boatman's  Interest 

217 

XIX. 

Applied  History     . 

231 

XX. 

The  Lost  Cannon   . 

245 

w 


VI 

CIIAPTUB 

XXL 

XXII. 

xxiir. 

XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 

XXVII. 

XXVIII. 

XXIX. 

XXX. 

XXXI. 

XXXII. 


A  Critical  Moment    . 

An  Unwelcome  Visitor 

A  Call  for  Help 

Tin:  Rescue  . 

A  Massacre  . 

The  Lesson    . 

The  C AMI"- Fire 

The  Stouv  of  Thips    . 

The  End  of  Frontenac 

A  Plot  .... 

"All  that  glitters  is  not  Gold" 

CoNCf.USION     . 


PAOR 

257 

200 

281 

204 

300 

319 

333 

315 

358 

370 

382 

304 


1 1 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 


"Burt  threw  himself  face  iorward  upon  the 

S^-oiimV Frontispiece 

" '  Is  this  the  stage  for  the  Comers  ?  * "  .        .      50 

"Meanwhile  the  noisy  little  tug  was  pulling 

steadily  at  its  burden"    ....     10.5 

"The  skiff  floated  with  the  current  beyond  his 

g^'-'^sp" 157 

" '  What  ye  doin'  with  our  house-boat  ? ' "  .  205 
"  <  Did  ye  ever  hear  o'  the  war  o'  1812  ? ' "  .  261 
" '  Get  out  of  this  !  Go  back  there ! '"  .  .299 
"  The  whole  thing  could  be  seen  by  the  men 

who'd  oianagbd  to  get  ashore  "         .        .    343 


vll 


THE   HOUSE-BOAT   ON  THE 
ST.  LAWRENCE. 


CHAPTER  I. 


COLLEGE    FRIENDS. 


The  June  morning  had  dawned  cloudless 
and  clear.  A  slight  haze  covered  the  sum- 
mits of  the  hills  which  enclosed  the  beauti- 
ful Berkshire  vallev,  but  the  beams  of  the 
summer  sun  would  soon  burn  this  away ; 
and  the  heart  of  every  college  boy  was  cor- 
respondingly rejoiced,  for  nothing  would 
now  interfere  with  the  ball  game  between 
the  long -time  rival  colleges. 

Crowds  of  alumni  had  been  pouring  into 
Williamstown,  and  now  every  room  in  the 
hotels  had  been  taken,  cots  in  the  halls 
were  at  a  premium,  and  even  the  boarding- 
house  keepers  were  smiling  as  complacently 
as  the  bonifaces,  for  the  thrifty  New  Eng- 
land folk  knew  there  were  other  harvests 
to  be  reaped  besides  those  garnered  on  the 
wheat-fields.     Boys  who  had  come  up  for 


HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


M 


their  entrance  examinations  were  to  be  seen 
among  the  stately  buildings,  or  wandering 
with  their  natural  protectors  along  the  vil- 
lage streets,  staring  in  undisguised  admira- 
tion at  these  wonderful  fellows  who  had 
successfully  passed  through  that  ordeal  which 
was  so  trying  to  them.  They  were  wondering 
also  whether  the  requirements  for  admission 
had  been  as  severe  in  other  years,  and 
whether  the  "  higher  standard  of  admission" 
had  not  been  decided  upon  at  just  the  most 
inconvenient  period  in  their  own  brief  ex- 
periences. 

Crowds  of  gayly  dressed  young  ladies  — 
sisters,  cousins,  friends  of  the  students  — 
were  also  in  town;  and  nothing  but  the 
festivities  of  Commencement  week  could 
account  for  the  numbers  of  people  in  the 
village,  which  all  through  the  long  months 
of  the  winter  had  been  apparently  cut  off 
from  the  great  world  outside. 

Groups  of  students  could  be  seen  along 
the  winding  paths,  and  frequently  the 
shouts  of  laughter  or  the  music  of  some 
rollicking  college  song  rose  on  the  summer 
air,  and  added  to  the  deep  strong  interest 
which  seemed  to  permeate  all  things.  Even 
the  ivy-covered  buildings  shimmered  under 


fV3 


'^  m 


COLLEGE  FRIENDS. 


8 


the  summer  sun,  and  the  foliage  trembled 
and  glistened  with  a  brighter  green  than  it 
had  usually  worn.  Nature  herself  appar- 
ently had  entered  into  the  heartiness  of  the 
young  life  that  abounded  in  the  college 
town,  and  the  very  joy  of  living  for  the 
time  had  banished  all  other  thoughts. 
Even  the  terrible  "exams"  were  now  things 
of  the  past,  and  belonged  to  that  remote 
period  of  human  life  when  Caesar  fought 
Pompey  or  Pompey  fought  Caesar,  perhaps 
few  could  have  told  which  and  fewer  still 
would  have  cared. 

In  the  window  of  one  of  the  rooms  in 
Morgan  Hall  two  young  fellows  were 
seated,  looking  down  with  interest  and  an- 
imation upon  the  stirring  scenes  in  the 
street  below,  and  frequently  breaking  in 
upon  their  conversation  with  remarks  con- 
cerning the  interest  of  the  "  old  grads," 
or  the  no  less  eager  attention  of  the  girls 
or  boys  who  had  come  to  town  with  their 
fathers  to  visit  with  them  the  scenes  of 
former  college  days. 

"  It's  strange  how  these  old  fellows  seem 
to  think  this  college  belongs  to  them,"  re- 
marked Jock  Cope,  one  of  the  two  students 
referred  tc  as  viewing  the  animated  scene 


HOUSEBOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAW  REN  CM. 


from  the  windows  of  Morgan  Hall.  "I 
never  think  of  it  in  that  way,  for  it  always 
seems  to  me  as  if  Williams  belongs  to  the 
fellows  who  are  now  here." 

"Just  wait  till  you  are  an  old  bald- 
headed  alumnus  yourself,"  laughed  Albert, 
or  "  Bert,"  Bliss,  his  companion. 

"I'm  afraid  you'll  have  to  wait  a  long 
time  for  that.  Who  knows  whether  I'll 
ever  be  an  '  old  grad '  anyway.  I  felt  old 
enough  when  I  got  through  with  that 
Greek  paper  yesterday,  but  something  be- 
sides old  age  will  be  required  by  the  faculty, 
I'm  afraid,  before  they'll  let  my  name  be 
enrolled  on  the  scroll  of  fame." 

"  Nonsense  !  you've  done  good  work  all 
the  year,  Jock,  and  you  know  it  as  well  as 
I  do.     You'll  pull  through  in  fine  shape." 

"  I  hope  so,"  replied  Jock,  evidently  re- 
assured somewhat  by  the  confidence  of  his 
friend.  "  If  I  only  felt  half  as  sure  of  my- 
self as  you  do,  I  think  I'd  bear  up." 

"  You  mean  my  confidence  in  myself  or 
my  confidence  in  you  ?  " 

"  Either,"  laughed  Jock, 

"  Well,  'tis  a  fine  thing  not  to  be  easily 
cast  down,  my  friend;  I  have  been  young 
and  now  am  old,  yet  never  have  I  seen  a 


COLLEGE  FRIENDS. 


"I 


'\' 


man  with  *  nerve  '  driven  out  of  his  place. 
Even  when  I've  been  called  upon  in  class 
to  explain  some  things  in  the  lesson  wliich 
the  professor  didn't  quite  seem  to  see  as  he 
ought  to,  to  say  nothing  of  the  rest  of  you 
poor  little  freshmen,  you  can't  imagine  how 
often  I've  done  it  when  I  had  mighty  little 
to  call  on,  —  no  reserve  power,  so  to  speak. 
I  think  that's  what  you  call  it." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  can  imagine  that  a  good 
deal  more  easily  than  you  think  I  can," 
responded  Jock.  "It's  a  wise  man  who 
knows  that  he  doesn't  know ;  but  when  a 
fellow  doesn't  know  even  that  and  yet 
stands  up  and  talks  as  glibly  as  if  he  really 
did  know  it  all,  why,  the  sight's  sublime, 
that's  what  it  is.  And  often,  alas !  have  I 
seen  you  there." 

"That's  what  you  have,  too  often. 
Wasn't  I  called  up  seven  days  in  succession 
in  geometry,  and  every  time  I  thought 
surely  the  professor  would  pass  me  by,  as 
I'd  been  up  the  day  before,  and  conse- 
quently I  was  relying  upon  my  previous 
record.  'Tis  a  cold,  cold  world,  Jock,  and 
there's  no  sympathy  in  it.  I  wonder  what 
we  ever  study  mathematics  for  anyway. 
For  my  part  I  think  it's  stuff  and  nonsense." 


In 


6       HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LA  WHENCE. 

"  To  discipline  your  mind,  freshman," 
laughed  his  friend. 

"  So  I've  been  informed.  Your  reply  is 
eminently  wise.  But,  as  I  said,  I  never 
could  see  any  use  in  it  outside  of  a  lunatic 
asylum.  Why,  Jock,  ever  since  my  child- 
hood days,  long,  long  ago,  when  I  used  to 
read  of  the  man  who  was  driving  through 
the  country  and  stopped  to  ask  the  farmer 
how  many  sheep  there  were  in  that  flock  — 
or  perhaps  it  was  pigs  or  chickens,  I  don't 
remember  which  —  and  the  honest  son  of 
the  soil  would  explain  if  one-half  of  one- 
sixth  of  one-ninth  of  the  flock  was  taken 
away  and  sixteen  were  added,  he  would 
have  altogether  two-thirds  of  ninety-nine- 
billionths  of  ninety-nine,  and  one-thou- 
sandth part  of  one-seventh,  I've  had  no  use 
for  mathematics.  I  tell  you  no  one  but  a 
raving  lunatic  would  talk  like  that.  And 
here  they  are  keeping  up  the  same  old  game 
after  we  got  into  college.  I'm  sick  and 
tired  of  the  whole  thing." 

"It  disciplines  your  mind,  I  tell  you," 
repeated  Jock,  laughing  again  at  the  mock 
earnestness  of  his  classmate. 

"  So  I've  heard  you,  and  others  who 
know  as  much  as  you  do,  remark;  but  I 


COLLEGE  FlilEyDS. 


tell  you  it's  nonsense,  sheer  nonsense ! 
When  I  get  into  business,  you  don't  sup- 
])()se  a  man  will  come  into  my  office,  or 
my  father's,  which  is  the  same  thing,  and 
tell  me  he'd  like  to  buy  one-sixteenth  of 
one-quarter  of  one-third  of  a  cargo  of  coal 
and  that  if  six-thirds  of  two-ninths  of 
seven-tenths  of  nine  hundred  and  seven- 
teen and  one-eighth  were  added  to  the 
number,  I'd  find  out  just  what  his  order 
was.  Not  much !  If  such  a  man  should 
come  in,  I'd  slide  out  the  back  door  and 
call,  ^Police ! '  as  loudly  as  my  feeble  voice 
would  permit.  That's  what  I'd  do  and  so 
would  you,  freshman." 

"  But  your  father  is  a  lawyer  and  doesn't 
deal  in  coal." 

"  It's  all  one  and  the  same  thing.  Do 
you  think  he'd  tell  a  client  of  his  he'd 
charge  him  seven-eighths  of  one-ninth  of 
six-thirteenths  of  the  sum  in  litigation  ?  I 
know  not." 

"  No,  he'd  probably  tell  him  he'd  take  the 
whole  thing  himself,  and  that  there  wouldn't 
be  even  a  fraction  of  a  fraction  left  for  the 
poor  man  who  had  brought  the  suit." 

"  And  serve  him  right,  too,  if  he  did,  for 
he  had  no  business  to  go  to  law  in  the  first 


8       nOUSE-liOAT  ON  THE  ST,    LAWIiESCK. 

place,  and  then,  besides,  he  ought  not  to 
forget  that  my  father  has  me  to  look  out 
for,  and  a  son  in  college  is  a  luxury  in  tliise 
days,  I'd  have  you  undei'stand.  It  isn't 
every  man  that  has  that  privilege.  Hello  ! " 
he  suddenly  broke  in,  as  he  caught  sight  of 
his  own  room-mate  in  the  street  below, 
"  there's  Spike.  Hey,  Spike  !  "  he  called, 
"  what  are  you  standing  down  there  for  ? 
Come  up  here  into  Jock's  room.  He's 
going   to   treat." 

The  young  man  thus  hailed  glanced  up 
at  the  window,  and  then,  quickly  turning 
about,  made  his  way  up  the  stairway  and 
soon  entered  the  room.  As  he  came  in, 
the  meaning  of  the  sobriquet  by  which  he 
had  been  hailed  was  at  once  made  plain. 
The  name  by  which  his  parents  originally 
had  called  him  was  Benjamin  Dallett,  but 
the  irreverent  college  boys  had  substituted 
"  Spike  "  as  being  much  more  accurate  and 
far  more  expressive  of  his  true  nature.  He 
was  very  tall,  standing  considerably  more 
than  six  feet  in  height,  but  he  was  very 
thin  and  wiry,  and  the  lack  of  development 
laterally,  whatever  the  vertical  may  have 
been,  had  been  the  source  of  the  new  name 
which   had   been  bestowed   upon   him  the 


*., 


COLLEGE   FTt TENDS. 


9 


!" 


up 


:| 


.1 


very  first  day  tafter  he  had  entered  college. 
His  room-niate,  Albert  Bliss,  who  had  been 
having  tlie  conversation  witli  Josiah,  or 
"  Jock,"  Cope  already  recorded,  was  a 
short,  sturdy  young  fellow,  the  exact  oppo- 
site, in  many  respects,  of  his  friend.  In 
character,  too,  they  had  supplemented  each 
other,  and  the  friendship  formed  in  tlieir 
early  boyhood  had  continued  throughout 
their  school  days,  and  now  that  they  were 
in  college  the  feeling  had  strengthened  with 
the  passing  days. 

Yet  strong  as  was  their  affection  for  each 
other,  they  both  united  in  a  common  love 
for  Jock  Cope,  in  whose  room  they  now 
were.  He  was  unlike  both  his  friends  in 
that  he  was  a  somewhat  delicate  lad,  though 
in  no  wise  effeminate,  and  the  selection  of 
the  college  among  the  Berkshire  hills  had 
been  made  by  his  parents  with  the  hope 
that  something  of  the  strength  of  the  hills 
might  be  given  the  only  boy  left  to  them  of 
several  children  who  had  entered  their  home, 
only  to  remain  for  a  few  brief  years  and  then 
disappear  forever.  The  choice  made  by 
Jock,  or  rather  by  his  parents,  which  was 
much  the  same  thing,  had  been  sufficient  to 
induce  his  long-time  friends  to  enter  Will- 


10      lloUSE-liOAT  ON   TIIK  ST.    LAWUENCE. 


iams  with  him  ;  and  now  tho  freshman  year 
was  ended,  and  no  one  had  regretted  the 
decision,  for  it  is  safe  to  say  that  no  more 
hjyal  sons  of  Old  Williams  were  to  he  found 
than  were  these  three  students.  Benjamin 
Dallett  and  Albert  Bliss  had  continued  to 
be  room-mates  in  college  as  they  had  been  in 
the  preparatory  school,  and  Jock  Cope  had 
induced  his  friend  Robert,  or  *'  Bob,"  Dar- 
nell to  share  his  room  in  Morgan  Hall ;  and 
though  for  a  time  the  aforesaid  Bob  had 
been  absent,  in  spirit  he  was  no  less  a  mem- 
ber of  the  quartette  than  if  he  had  been 
l)resent  in  the  body. 

Necessity  had  compelled  him  to  stay  out 
of  college  for  a  part  of  the  spring  term  in 
order  to  earn  some  money  with  which  to 
continue  his  course,  for,  unlike  his  three 
friends,  Bob  had  but  little  wealth,  and  as 
his  mother  was  a  widow  he  had  resolved 
to  depend  as  much  as  in  him  was  upon  his 
own  resources.  Accordingly,  when  early 
in  the  preceding  May  word  had  come  to 
him  from  Ethan,  the  boatman  whom  they 
ha,d  had  almost  a  year  before  this  time  in 
their  camp  among  the  Thousand  Islands,^ 
that  the  schoolmaster  at   the  Corners  had 

1  See  "  Camping  on  the  St.  Lawrence." 


COLLEGE  FlilENDS. 


11 


in 

to 

ree 


Ins 

Ay 

to 

[ley 

in 

1 

7 

lad 


s< 


il 


■I 
-J 

I 


been  taken  suddenly  ill  and  would  be  un- 
able to  complote  the  school  year,  Bob  had 
eagerly  accepted  the  offer  which  had  been 
made  for  him  to  take  the  place,  and  at  this 
very  time  he  was  engaged  in  the  task  of 
*' training  tlio  young  ideas"  in  the  little 
hamlet  on  the  far-away  St.  Lawrence. 

The  c'lbsence  of  Bob  Darnell  was  deeply 
regretted,  not  only  by  his  three  friends,  but 
by  his  classmates  and  the  entire  college,  for 
the  matter  of  that.  He  was  keen  of  mind, 
somewhat  slow  of  speech,  very  droll  at 
times,  and  unusually  popular  with  all  his 
mates.  Witliout  apparent  exertion  he  had 
gained  a  rank  near  the  forefront  of  his  class, 
and  as  he  had  been  the  only  member  to 
make  the  '^  varsity  "  nine,  there  were  more 
reasons  tlian  one  why  his  absence  at  this 
particular  time  was  lamented.  The  substi- 
tute who  had  taken  his  place  in  left  field 
was  not  regarded  in  a  particularly  favorable 
light,  and  there  were  many  misgivings  as  to 
what  the  outcome  might  be  in  the  game 
which  was  about  to  be  played. 

As  Benjamin,  or  "  Ben,"  Dallett  entered 
the  room  where  his  two  friends  were  seated 
in  the  window,  he  said :  "  Bring  out  your 
treat !     What  is  it  ? " 


12    iiorsK-noAT  ox  the  st,  lawiikxce. 


'*  Oh,  this  is  a  foast  of  reason,  not  a  flow 
of  soul,"  respundeil  Bert.  *•  Here's  Joek, 
he's  heen  trviui;-  to  tell  nie  there's  some  use 
in  grubhing  out  niathematies." 

Ben  laughed  as  he  re})lied,  "  I'm  glad  I 
came.  I  haven't  had  a  treat  of  that  kind, 
lo,  these  many  years." 

^'  That's  all  righ.t.  Spike,"  laughed  Jock, 
good-naturedly.  *'  Tve  only  been  trying  to 
show  this  benighted  freshman  that  when  a 
fireman  shovels  coal  under  the  boiler  he  isn't 
doing  it  because  he  expects  to  get  coal  again.'' 

"  Right  you  are.  He's  doing  it  for  thirty- 
five  dollars  a  month." 

"  It's  all  the  same  thing.  That's  the  very 
thinu;  I'm  talkinjj;  about." 

^'  You  needn't  worry  about  this  innocent," 
said  Ben.  *'  Bert  studies  like  i  hero,  and 
even  sits  up  nights  to  read  his  books,  lie 
likes  to  talk,  but  he's  all  right  when  it 
comes  to  the  other  part  too." 

"  1  have  to  study,"  said  Bert,  soberly. 
^'What  would  become  of  Spike  if  !  didn't? 
Seme  one  has  to  do  the  Avork.  You  remem- 
ber what  Ethan  said  last  summer  about  that 
team  of  horses  ho  Ir  .1,  don't  you?" 

*'  No,  I've  fvjrgotten,"  said  Jock.  "What 
was  it  he  said  ?  " 


COLLEGE  FRIEXDS. 


18 


"  Why,  lie  said  that  one  of  the  horses  was 
willing  to  do  all  the  work,  and  the  other 
one  was  perfectly  willing  that  he  should. 
That's  the  way  it  is  with  us." 

"  Trust  Bert  to  make  his  horse  work," 
retorted  Ben,  and  even  Bert  \.  as  eonipelled 
to  join  in  the  laugh  which  followed.  **  I 
say  >  fellows,  why  don't  we  go  down  to  the 
held  ?  The  j)eople  are  all  going,  and  it's 
only  three-quarters  of  an  hour  before  the 


game. 


In  !i  moment  his  frien.ds  joined  him,  and 
together  the  trio  started  towa)'d  Weston 
Field.  On  their  way  they  stopped  at  the 
post-ollice,  and  as  they  started  on  again, 
Jock  said,  ^'I've  a  letter  here   from   Bob." 

"  Come  on,  don't  stop  to  read  it  here," 
said  Ben,  eagerly.  ''  Wait  till  we  are  in  the 
grand  stand.  We'll  bo  late  if  we  don't 
move  on." 

80,  thrusting  the  letter  hito  his  pocket, 
Jock  joined  his  companions  and  the  crowd 
which  already  was  making  its  way  toward 
the  lield  where  the  contest  between  the 
rival  colleges  was  to  take  place. 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE    GAME. 


When  the  three  boys  took  their  seats  in 
the  grand  stand  and  looked  about  them 
over  the  field  it  was  a  sight  they  saw  which 
would  have  quickened  the  pulses  of  even  the 
most  sluggisli.  Tally-ho  coaches,  drags,  open 
wagons,  and  conveyances  of  various  kinds 
and  descriptions  bordered  the  field ;  and  as 
many  of  these  were  occupied  by  young 
people  who  had  driven  to  Williams  town 
from  the  different  resorts  of  Berkshire 
County,  their  gay  appearance  and  brilliant 
decorations  added  much  to  the  inspiration  of 
the  scene.  Banner?,  flags,  and  streamers 
waved  in  the  summer  breeze,  and  from  all 
sides  cheers  and  college  cries  were  already 
rising.  Directly  in  front  of  the  three  stu- 
dents in  whom  we  are  particularly  inter- 
ested sat  a  row  of  bald-headed  alumni  (the 
boys  knew  they  were  bald  because  their  hats 
were  frequently  removed  from  their  heads 

u 


THE  GAME. 


15 


all 
lady 
Istu- 
Iter- 
[the 
lats 
lads 


and  waved  in  the  air  as  the  ^'  old  grads  " 
hailed  some  former  acquaintance  or  doffed 
them  in  greeting  to  some  lady  friend)  who 
were  shouting  as  lustily  as  their  younger 
companions.  The  crowds  were  steadily 
increasing,  and  old  men  were  slapping  one 
another  upon  the  back  as  with  glistening 
eyes  they  recognized  comrades  of  bygone 
years.  There  was,  however,  one  peculiar- 
ity in  the  salutations,  and  that  was,  that 
ahnost  invariably  the  older  men  hailed  their 
friends  as  "  boys,"  while  the  younger  alum- 
ni always  called  out,/*  Glad  to  see  you, '  old 


man 


On  one  side  of  the  field  a  large  body  of 
Amherst  men  had  assembled,  and  though 
they  were  fewer  in  numbers  than  the  sup- 
porters of  the  local  college  team,  it  was 
evident  that  chey  would  be  able  to  give  a 
good  account  of  themselves  when  encourage- 
ment for  their  own  sturdy  nine  was  called 
for.  Overhead,  the  summer  sky  was  soft 
and  glowing,  and  the  near-by  mountains 
seemed  to  stand  in  silence  and  dignity  as  if 
they  too  were  interested  spectators  of  the 
animated  scene  at  their  feet.  It  was  a  per- 
fect summer  day,  and  the  mere  joy  of  living 
for  the  time  seemed  to  be  sufficient  of  itself 


16      nOUSE-IiOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 


to  satisfy  the  demands  of  all.  Dignified 
clergymen,  staid  lawyers,  successful  business 
men,  members  of  the  college  faculty,  were 
all  there,  and,  for  the  hour,  the  very  cares  of 
life  were  forgotten  and  the  perpetual  youth 
of  college  and  valley  were  reflected  in  the 
glowing  faces.  Again  and  again  some  one, 
usually  an  appointed  leader,  started  a  col- 
lege song,  and  the  echoes  would  be  awakened 
as  the  rollicking  words  rose  froiu  the  entire 
assembly.  There  were  cheers  for  the  rival 
nines,  and  for  the  individual  members  of 
the  team ;  and,  indeed,.before  the  game  was 
begun  more  than  one  of  the  spectators 
found  his  voice  already  becoming  husky, 
and  giving  premonitions  of  failing  before 
the  crucial  time  should  come. 

At  last,  however,  the  preliminary  practice 
was  ended,  the  crowd  had  all  assembled,  and 
the  time  when  the  game  was  to  be  called 
had  arrived.  For  a  moment  there  was  a 
silence  as  the  Amherst  men  took  their 
places  in  the  field,  and  a  moment  later  there 
was  a  prolonged  cheer  which  was  repeated 
again  and  again  when  the  first  of  the  Will- 
iams battels  advanced  to  the  plate.  Ban- 
ners were  flung  out  once  more,  flags  were 
waved,  and  the  entire  assembly  arose  and 


TUE  GAME. 


17 


stood  for  several  minutes.  To  all  appear- 
ances the  most  unconcerned  of  all  was  the 
sturdy  batsman  who  stood  facing  the  oppos- 
ing nine,  awaiting  the  beginning  of  the 
game.  The  umpire  tossed  the  ball  to  the 
pitcher,  who  took  it  and  thoughtfully  and 
slowly  rubbed  it  in  his  hands,  and  then, 
taking  his  stand  in  the  box,  drew  back  his 
arm  and  sent  the  ball  swiftly  over  the  plate. 

'^  One  strike  !  "  called  the  umpire,  and  a 
sigh  arose  from  the  crowd. 

Again  the  curving  ball  came  swiftly  in, 
and  once  more  the  umpire  shouted,  ^'  Two 
strikes ! " 

A  cheer  arose  from  the  Amherst  contin- 
gent, and  something  very  like  a  groan  was 
heard  from  the  grand  stand.  Jock  was 
leaning  forward,  breathlessly  watching  Burt, 
the  batter  and  captain  of  the  Williams  nine, 
confident  and  yet  fearful  that  he  might  fail 
to  meet  the  expectations  of  his  supporters. 

Once  more  the  ball  came  in,  this  time 
moving  slowly  and  with  a  deceptive,  alluring 
motion,  but  Burt  was  not  to  be  tempted. 

"  One  ball !  "  shouted  the  umpire ;  and 
then,  as  the  ball  was  quickly  returned  to  the 
pitcher,  that  sturdy  gentleman  with  an  unex- 
pected motion  sent  it  back  with  almost  in- 


18       UOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LA  WHENCE. 


credible  speed.  But  Burt  was  ready,  and 
almost  before  the  excited  assembly  perceived 
what  had  occurred,  the  ball  was  skipping 
over  the  ground  between  right  and  centre 
field,  and  the  runner  had  started  for  second 
base. 

The  shrill  shout  that  had  burst  from  the 
lips  of  the  beholders  died  away,  and  in 
breathless  suspense  they  all  waited  and 
watched  as  the  ball  was  deftly  and  quickly 
fielded  and  thrown  swiftly  toward  second 
base.  Burt  was  within  a  few  yards  of  the 
coveted  base  now,  but  the  baseman  was 
standing  before  him  with  outstretched 
hands.  In  a  moment  the  question  would 
be  decided,  and  glory  for  his  achievement, 
or  blame  for  his  recklessness  in  attempting 
to  make  a  two-base  hit  of  what  was  really 
only  safe  for  one,  would  be  bestowed  upon 
the  runner. 

Jock  Cope  gripped  one  of  his  friends 
tightly  by  the  arm  and  pushed  as  if  he 
thought  he  was  helping  by  his  action  the 
daring  Williams  captain  to  gain  his  base. 
All  the  spectators  were  leaning  forward 
from  their  seats,  and  the  silence  that  rested 
over  Weston  Field  was  intense. 

Suddenly  Burt  threw  himself  face  for- 


THE  a  A  ME. 


19 


trard  upon  the  ground  and  slid  tow'ird  the 
coveted  bag.  There  was  a  cloud  of  dust, 
a  strange  mix-up  of  men,  and  then,  when  it 
was  seen  that  out  of  the  confusion  Burt 
was  safe  on  the  second  base,  such  a  shout 
went  up  as  even  Old  Greylock  had  seldom 
heard. 

When  Page,  the  Williams  pitcher, 
grasped  his  bat  and  advanced  to  the  plate, 
the  cheers  and  shouts  were  renewed,  and 
when,  with  a  mighty  swing  of  his  bat,  he 
smote  the  first  ball  delivered  and  sent  it 
into  almost  the  very  place  where  Burt's  hit 
had  gone,  and  Burt  himself  came  racing 
home,  it  was  as  if  pandemonium  itself 
reigned  supreme.  Hats  were  in  the  air, 
flags  were  waved,  the  ladies  were  adding 
their  shrill  treble  to  the  volume  of  sound, 
and  it  seemed  as  if  for  the  moment  all 
semblance  of  dignity  and  self-control  were 
scattered  to  the  winds. 

^'Rattled!"  exclaimed  Bert,  delightedly. 
^'  We've  got  them  on  the  run !  I  don't 
wonder  that  the  St.  Louis  team  want  Burt 
and  Page.  They're  a  battery  worth  hav- 
ing !     You  don't  often  see  such  fellows !  " 

"  They're  great,  and  no  mistake,"  replied 
Jock.    "  But  the  game's  young  yet.    There's 


' 


20      HOUSE- BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

many  a  slip,  and  we  haven't  won  till  the 
last  man  in  the  ninth  inning  is  out.  Be- 
sides, I  feel  sorry  for  the  Amherst  fellows." 

"  So  do  I,  I'm  full  of  sympathy  for  them. 
But  then  they  ought  to  know  better  than 
to  think  they  can  play  with  us.'  They 
ought  to  get  a  game  with  the  fellows  that 
belong  to  their  class." 

The  conversation  was  interrupted  when 
the  next  striker  went  out,  and  a  determmed 
cheer  rose  from  the  opposing  crowd.  This 
was  speedily  returned,  however,  Avlien  an- 
other Williams  man  made  a  long  hit,  and, 
aided  by  an  error,  when  the  inning  closed 
three  runs  had  been  scored  by  the  Williams 
nine. 

In  no  wise  daunted,  the  Amherst  men 
came  in  to  bat,  and  for  a  time  the  clouds 
seemed  to  gather  when  they  too  began  to 
hit  the  ball,  and  two  runs  had  been  scored 
before  the  side  was  disposed  of.  So  the 
score  remained  until  the  fifth  inning,  which 
proved  to  be  almost  a  repetition  of  the 
first.  Again  Burt  and  Page,  w^ho  were  the 
heaviest  hitters  of  the  Williams  nine,  sent 
the  crowd  wild  when  one  of  them  made  a 
three-base  hit  and  the  other  one  for  two 
bases,   and   both   crossed   the   home   plate 


THE  GAME. 


21 


a 


before  the  end  of  the  inning.  The  shouts 
tand  songs  of  the  crowd  were  as  lusty  as 
ever,  but  the  voices  of  many  were  becom- 
ing husky  by  this  time.  Indeed,  one  of 
the  "old  grads"  in  front  of  our  boys  was 
hardly  able  to  speak  above  a  whisper ;  but 
his  spirit  was  still  strong  though  the  vocal 
cords  were  weak.  He  still  swung  his  hat 
and  danced  about  with  all  the  enthusiasm 
of  a  boy. 

To  the  consternation  of  the  Williams 
men  the  Amherst  nine  also  succeeded  in 
scoring  twice  in  this  inning,  and  the  vocifer- 
ous din  of  their  supporters  was  strangely 
subduing  to  their  rivals.  Still,  the  score  was 
five  to  four  in  favor  of  Williams,  and,  deter- 
mined to  make  the  most  of  the  advantage 
they  still  had,  the  songs  and  cheers  of  the 
home  supporters  once  more  broke  forth 
with  renewed  energy. 

"  I  don't  believe  Smith  can  make  a  noise, 
fellows,"  said  Jock,  pointing  as  he  spoke  to 
the  young  fellow  on  the  ground  below 
who  was  leading  the  singing.  "His  voice 
is  all  gone  and  he  just  goes  through  the 
motions." 

"  That  doesn't  matter  as  long  as  he  can 
make  the  rest  of  us  sing." 


22      IIOUSK-liOAT  ON   rilE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

*'  I  hope  you  don't  call  that  noise  you 
make  singing." 

*'  No ;  it's  nothing  but  a  joyful  noise," 
replied  Jock,  as  he  once  more  tried  to  join 
in  "  The  Mountains,"  which  Smith,  the 
choragus,  had  somehow  managed  to  stait 
again. 

The  sixth,  seventh,  and  eiglith  innings 
passed,  and  neither  nine  was  able  to  score, 
though  twice  the  Amherst  men  managed  to 
get  a  man  as  far  as  third  base.  Both  teams 
were  playing  desperately,  and  the  long 
rivalry  of  the  two  colleges  seemed  to  find 
expression  in  their  efforts.  Almost  no 
errors  were  made,  and  the  few  hits  were 
so  well  handled  that  the  runners  were  sel- 
dom able  to  gain  anything.  The  score  was 
so  close  that  the  feelings  of  the  crowd  were 
kept  at  the  keenest  tension,  and  when  at 
last  the  ninth  inning  began,  the  excitement 
even  increased  over  that  which  before  had 
been  manifested.  The  cheering  was  like 
a  hoarse  cry  now,  bnt  apprrently  there  was 
no  repressing  it.  The  faces  of  the  elder 
alumni  were  flushed,  and  their  efforts  were 
almost  visibly  painful ;  but  cheer  they 
must  and  cheer  they  would.  Many  were 
standing,  and  the  purple  flags  were  never 


1 


77//<;  (,'A}fE. 


28^ 


still.  Even  the  players  theiriselves  seemed 
to  feel  the  strain,  and,  thongh  the  Williams 
men  had  a  lead  of  one  run,  the  margin  was 
too  narrow  to  admit  of  mvieh  confidence. 

The  first  of  the  Williams  hatters  to  face 
the  opposing  pitcher  was  given  his  hase  on 
halls,  and  for  a  moment  the  delight  of  the 
crowd  threatened  to  vent  itself  "'  in  cheer- 
ing an  opponent's  error";  bnt,  as  this  was 
regarded  as  the  highest  form  of  discourtesy, 
it  was  quickly  repressed.  When  the  sec- 
ond batter  also  gained  his  base  on  an  error 
again  the  assembly  threatened  to  break  all 
bounds,  but  as  Burt  stepped  forth  and 
raised  his  hand  in  token  of  silence  the  out- 
burst was  quickly  suppressed. 

It  was  now  his  turn  to  bat  again,  and 
the  shout  which  arose  when  he  grasped 
his  bai  and  advanced  to  the  plate  could 
not  be  checked.  All  things  appeared  fa- 
vorable, and  as  he  was  one  of  the  heaviest 
hitters,  and  there  were  two  men  on  the 
bases,  the  j^i^ospect  of  more  runs  was  bright. 
When  Burt  lifted  the  ball  high  over  the 
head  of  the  right  fielder,  the  response  was 
more  like  a  wild  cry  of  a  mob  than  the 
cheer  of  an  orderly  body.  On  and  on  ran 
the  runners,  while  the  fielder  with  desper- 


24      UOUSE-nOAT  ON   THE  ST.    LA\\'l!K\CE. 


II    1 


i! 


ate  liasto  started  after  the  ball.  One  man 
crossed  the  plate,  and  the  shouting  was 
deafening.  On  came  the  second  runner, 
and  the  crowd  was  still  more  wild.  A  mo- 
mentary hush  came  when  Burt  himself 
started  for  home,  and  when  the  ball  was 
sent  swiftly  in  to  the  catcher,  and  the  run- 
ner was  caught  between  the  bases,  a  brief 
silence  followed,  and  at  last,  when  he 
was  touched  with  the  ball  and  was  out, 
his  friends  even  then  were  not  to  be 
daunted. 

"What's  the  matter  with  Burt?"  called 
one  of  the  leaders  of  the  cheering. 

"  He-e-e-'s  all  right !  "  shouted  the  assem- 
bly in  reply,  as  all  rose  to  their  feet,  and 
shouts  and  long-continued  cheering  followed. 

As  the  two  batters  to  follow  both  went 
out  on  little  in-field  hits,  and  the  last  inn- 
ing for  Williams  was  thereby  ended,  feeling 
as  if  the  game  had  already  been  won  the 
crowd  once  more  seemed  to  lose  control  of 
itself,  and  while  the  nine  were  passing  to 
their  places  in  the  field  and  the  Amherst 
men  were  coming  in,  the  scene  beggared 
description. 

*^  Even  the  horses  are  dancing,"  shouted 
Jock,  as  he  slapped  Ben   upon  the  back. 


THE  a  A  ME. 


25 


"  Wo'vo  a  lead  of  throe  runs,  and  they'll 
never  catcli  up  now." 

"Wait,"  replied  Ben.  "The  last  man 
in  the  last  inning  isn't  out  yet." 

"That's  what  the  Amherst  fellows  are 
thinking,  if  one  can  judge  fr^vi  the  racket 
they're  making,"  said  Bert. 

The  supporters  of  the  Amherst  nine  had 
now  risen,  and,  standing  closely  together, 
were  making  the  air  resound  with  their 
shouts.  They  cheered  for  the  nine  and  for 
every  player  as  he  came  in  to  the  hencihes, 
and  when  the  first  batter  faced  Page,  their 
efforts  still  further  increased,  as  ii  by  their 
lung  powers  they  would  add  to  the  strength 
of  the  sturdy  players.  When  a  few  nnn- 
utos  later  he  ran  nimbly  to  first  base, 
having  been  presented  with  four  balls, 
their  enthusiastic  shouting  redoubled  in 
volume.  When  the  next  batter  sent  a 
little  pop-up  fly  to  the  short-stop,  and  to 
the  horror  of  all  the  Williams  men  the 
usually  trusty  little  fielder  dropped  the  ball, 
the  groan  from  one  side  of  the  field  was 
almost  as  disheartening  as  was  the  wild 
shout  that  rose  from  the  other.  A  momen- 
tary relief  came  when  the  next  batter  struck 
out,  but  as  his  follower  sent  a  long  hit  into 


26      HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST,   LAWRENCE. 


tlie  out-field,  and  one  of  the  men  crossed 
the  pUite  before  it  could  be  returned,  the 
anxiety  became  intense.  The  following 
batter  also  struck  out,  but  there  was  a  man 
on  third  and  one  on  second,  and  Stewart, 
the  heaviest  hitter  of  the  Amherst  t^am, 
was  now  to  bat. 

He  struck  at  the  first  ball  sent  in,  and 
drove  a  long  foul  far  back  of  the  left 
fielder's  position.  The  silence  on  thp 
Williams  side  was  most  intense  now,  out 
not  so  was  it  among  the  Amherst  contin- 
gent. They  were  wild  with  excitement, 
and,  to  make  matters  worse,  for  the  mo- 
ment it  almost  seemed  as  if  Page,  the 
Williams  pitcher,  was  ''  rattled."  Holding 
his  mask  in  his  hand,  Burt  now  advanced 
and  held  a  low  whispered  conversation  with 
Page.  What  was  said  was  not  known, 
but  the  anxious  feeling  of  all  was  only  too 
apparent. 

"  That's  the  way  with  Page,"  said  Ben, 
gloomily.  "  He  goes  un  in  the  air  when  it 
comes  to  the  pinch." 

"  I  thought  you  said  St.  Louis  wanted 
him,"  suggested  Jock. 

^'  So  they  do.  Keep  still  now,  they're 
at  it  again." 


w 


THE  GAME. 


27 


Apparently  no  one  required  the  word  of 
caution,  for  a  deep  silence  rested  over  all. 
Page  took  the  ball,  calmly  assumed  his 
position  in  the  box,  glanced  keenly  at 
Stewart,  and  then  sent  the  ball  in  with 
terrific  speed.  But  Stewart  was  ready,  and 
evidently  that  was  just  the  ball  he  had 
been  waiting  for.  As  he  struck,  it  rose  high 
in  the  air  and  sailed  away,  almost  like  a 
speck  in  the  sky,  out  toward  left  field. 
I'he  Williams  men  were  silent,  but  not  so 
were  the  Amherst  boys.  They  shouted 
and  screamed  and  hugged  one  another  in 
their  delight.  And  all  the  time  the  ball 
was  high  in  the  air  and  far  in  the  distance. 

"If  Bob  were  only  there,"  murmured 
Jock,  but  no  one  heeded  him  now.  The 
substitute  fielder  evidently  realized  bis 
responsibility.  Stopping  for  an  instant, 
he  had  gazed  intently  at  the  little  sphere 
and  then  iiad  started  swiftly  back  into  the 
field.  On  and  on  he  ran,  and  then,  just  as 
the  ball  settled  toward  the  ground,  with 
one  quick  movement  he  turned  about, 
lifted  his  hands,  and  stood  waiting.  A 
moment  later  the  ball  dropped  into  his  out- 
stretched palms,  and  was  tightly  held. 

Then    arose   such   f^.   shout    as    Weston 


28      HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


)  I 


Field  had  never  heard  before.  Tears  stood 
in  the  eyes  of  some  of  the  excited  specta- 
tors, and  the  college  boys,  now  that  the 
game  had  indeed  been  won,  leaped  down 
from  their  seats  and  with  a  mighty  rush 
made  for  the  field.  There  Page  and  Burt 
were  lifted  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  ex- 
cited students,  and,  with  shouts  and  cheers, 
and  with  waving  banners  and  flying  strea  n- 
ers,  they  marched  in  triumph  from  the 
ground.  The  substitute  who  had  played 
in  place  of  Bob  Darnell  in  left  field  was 
also  borne  upon  the  shoulders  of  his 
fellows,  ior  there  was  glory  enough  and 
to  spare  for  all  who  had  helped  to  win  the 
day. 

An  hour  afterward,  when  our  three 
friends  were  assembled  in  Jock's  room  in 
Morgan  Hall,  and  the  game  and  victory 
had  been  talked  over  in  all  their  differing 
aspects,  Jock  suddenly  exclaimed,  "  I  say, 
fellows,  I've  a  le^l  r  here  from  Bob,  and 
1  almost  forgot  al     '  >)it  it." 

"That's  right.  T'l  us  what  he  has  to 
say  for  himself,"  said  Bert. 

Jock  glanced  hastily  at  the  letter  with- 
out speaking ;  and  then,  all  excitement, 
exclaimed,  "  This  beats  the  Amherst  game 


THE  GAME. 


29 


all  to  pieces !  Bob's  a  jewel,  that's  what 
he  is!" 

''  A  rough  diamond,  or  a  pearl  of  great 
price  ?  "  inquired  Ben,  solemnly. 

"  Listen,  my  children,  and  you  shall 
hear,"  replied  Jock,  as  he  proceeded  to 
read  the  letter  aloud,  and  in  a  moment 
his  companions  were  as  eager  and  excited 
as  he. 


CHAPTER   III. 


THE    PROJECT. 


"Bob  is  certainly  having  a  great  time," 
said  Jock,  as  he  folded  the  letter  and  thrust 
it  again  into  the  envelope.  "  I  wonder 
why  I  wasn't  horn  without  money,  for  it 
seems  to  me  the  fellows  who  are  earning 
their  Avay  through  college  get  the  most  out 
of  it.  Sometimes  I  almost  envy  them ;  I 
do,  for  a  fact." 

"  I'll  relieve  you  of  any  surplus  cash 
that  burdens  your  soul  or  your  pocket," 
remarked  Bert,  dryly.  "  For  my  part  I've 
never  felt  the  burden  you  refer  to.  I'm 
like  the  horse-leech,  and  cry  '  More,  more  ! '  " 

Jock  laughed  as  he  replied,  "  You  know 
what  I  mean.  I'm  not  going  to  disgorge 
for   either   of   vou,  tlious:h   I'd   shar 


last  dollar  with  Bob. 


my 


"If  you'd  say  the  last  cent,  I'm  with 
you,"  said  Ben,  as  he  drew  forth  a  bright 
penny  from  his  pocket  and   held  it  up  to 

so 


=sBaimmtlit 


iiiiiiiiAiiiiiii 


THE  PROJECT. 


31 


view.  "  To  that  and  a  ticket  to  New  Yorl^ 
am  I  reduced  in  my  extremity,"  he  added 
dolefully. 

"  Read  that  part  of  Bob's  letter  again, 
will  you,  Jock?"  requested  Bert.  "  I  mean 
the  part  where  he  tells  about  the  scheme." 

Jock  once  more  drew  forth  the  letter, 
and,  glancing  hastily  over  the  pages,  began 
to  read  aloud  the  part  requested. 

"  I'm  having  lots  of  experience  here,  and 
it  doesn't  come  high  either  (neither  does 
the  salary,  I  may  remark  in  passing). 
Every  morning  I  see  the  old  St.  Lawrence 
rushing  on  its  way  as  if  it  were  in  haste  to 
leave  this  part  of  the  world,  though  just 
why  the  Saint  should  feel  so,  I  do  not 
understand.  And  yet  somehow  I  feel  a 
little  that  way  myself.  Not  that  I  do 
not  enjoy  my  work,  for  I  do  thoroughly ; 
but  I  have  the  feeling  that  I'm  a  great 
way  oif,  though  just  what  it  is  I  am  so 
far  away  from,  it  would  be  difficult  to  say. 
But  here  I  am,  and  the  great  world  goes 
wagging  on  after  its  own  free  will,  and 
there  is  no  one  to  molest  or  make  me 
afraid. 

"  My  school  is  a  strange  mix-up.  I  have 
some  pupils  older  than  I  am  and   bigger 


32      HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

too,  tind  then  in  the  same  classes  with  them, 
there'll  be  little  fellows  who  hardly  come 
up  to  the  elbows  of  the  big  ones.  I  have 
seventeen  different  recitations  every  day, 
from  Arithmetic'  to  'jography,' as  Ethan 
calls  it ;  and  if  '  variety  is  the  spice  of  life,' 
as  some  wiseacre  has  remarked  (I  don't 
know  who  was  guilty  of  the  remark,  but  ask 
Spike,  he'll  tell  you  ;  and  he'll  tell  you,  too, 
whether  he  knows  anything  auout  it  or  not), 
why  I  ought  to  rejoice  that  my  life  is  as  spicy 
as  a  winter  day  is  to  a  Williams  freshman. 
"  Then,  too,  I  board  with  Ethan,  you 
must  not  forget,  or  rather  with  Mrs.  Ethan, 
which  is  not  exactly  the  same  thing.  She 
is  a  fat,  easy-going  old  lady  whom  nothing, 
not  even  Ethan's  ranting  about  ^  city  folks,' 
seems  to  disturb.  She  goes  right  on  in  the 
even  tenor  of  her  way,  or  perhaps  I  should 
say,  for  the  benefit  of  Bert,  the  even  soprano 
of  her  way,  for  her  voice  is  pitched  high 
and  if  ever  it  changes  in  its  pitch  or  key,  it 
must  be  when  boarders  are  not  here.  She 
is  a  motherly  soul,  though  her  eyes,  as  the 
psalmist  says,  do  seem  to  ^  stand  out  with 
fatness.'  And  she  believes  in  fat.  She  fries 
beef  and  pork  and  everything  that  it  is  pos- 
sible to  fry  in  grease.      But  I  have  not  lost 


:lL 


THE  PROJECT. 


88 


flesh,  for  tlie  fat  itself  has  been  transferred 
to  mj  delicate  frame.  And,  poor  soul,  she 
thinks  I  mast  be  delicate,  and  so  she  urges 
me  to  eat  —  eat  —  eat.  It's  a  ^  fried  cake ' 
here,  and  a  piece  of  pie  there,  and  milk  and 
honey  and  molasses  (maple)  between  spells. 
And  she  makes  me  sleep  in  a  feather  bed. 
And  such  a  bed  !  Why,  Jock,  when  I  jump 
into  it  at  night  I  disappear  beneath  it.  I  just 
sink  right  down  out  of  sight,  and  when  the 
thermometer  begins  to  get  in  its  fine  work 
I  lie  there  and  swelter ;  and  not  a  breath  of 
relief  could  I  find  until  luckily  I  bethought 
me  of  a  rope  ladder  which  I  fasten  to  the 
headboard,  and  by  which  I  climb  out  in  the 
morning.  And  when  I  say  ^  morning  '  1 
don't  mean  the  middle  of  the  forenoon 
either,  that  time  when  certain  effete  and 
overworked  freshmen  appear  for  breakfast, 
but  I  mean  a  morning  ^  what  is  a  morning.* 
Half-past  five  is  the  orthodox  time  for  ris- 
ing in  Ethan's  household,  and  six  o'clock  is 
a  luxury  to  be  had  only  on  a  rare  Sunday 


mornmg. 


"  I'm  saving  money,  I  am,  for  a  fact.  I 
save  it  because  I  ctm't  do  anything  else  with 
it.  There  is  nothing  to  buy  here,  not  a 
thing ;  and  when  I  come  back  to  college  I 


34    irovsE-noAT  ov  t/fe  st.  lawrence. 


I  Us!     iii 


shall  show  you  a  bank  flccoiint  that  will 
just  startle  you.  It'll  have  two  figures  in  it 
at  least,  and  that's  more  than  Spike  ever 
had  in  all  tiie  days  of  the  years  of  his 
earthly  pilgrimage.  I'm  lonesome,  Jock, 
though  you  might  not  expect  it  of  one  so 
young  as  I.  I  think  that  one  of  Bert's  jokes 
even  would  almost  make  me  laugh  now,  if 
I  could  only  hear  his  musical  voice.  But 
I'm  bus}^  and  fast  accumulating  a  great  pile 
of  lucre,  or  so  Ethan  thinks,  anyway.  He's 
not  exactly  envious,  but  he  cannot  repress 
his  wonder  as  to  what  is  to  become  of  me 
when  the  salary  of  eleven  dollars  and  a  half 
a  week  has  rolled  itself  up  like  a  snowball 
for  almost  three  months.  That  reminds 
me,  Jock ;  I  am  writing  this  letter  with  a 
purpose,  likewise  with  a  worn-out  stub  pen. 
Ethan  took  me  sailing  last  Saturday  and  we 
went  up  to  the  Bay.  You  can't  imagine 
how  strange  and  forlorn  it  seemed  to  me  to 
be  there,  and  for  you  and  Spike  and  Bert  to 
be  far  away,  yelling  for  Williams,  rolling 
t'le  Amherst  nine  over  Weston  Field  (or  so 
I  hope).  But  my  tear-bedimmed  eyes  were 
not  able  co  shut  out  everything  from  sight, 
and  when  I  saw  a  house-boat,  my  excitement 
was  so  intense  that  I  restored   my  damp 


THE  PROJECT. 


35 


handkerchief  to  my  pocket,  and  gazed  hard 
and  long. 

"  Now,  I  have  not  forgotten  what  you 
wrote  me  in  your  hitest  letter,  Jock,  to  make 
arrangements  with  Ethan  for  another  camp 
this  summer.  By  the  way,  I  have  employed 
all  my  spare  time  this  spring  in  reading  up 
on  Frontenac,  and  he  heats  Cartierhigh  and 
low.  Possibly  you  may  recall  my  irreverent 
friend's  remarks  as  to  Cartier,  Canada, 
Champlain,  and  various  other  '  C's.'  Well, 
I  haven't  .had  any    encyclopiedia  here,  so 

I 

that  no  one  need  fear  that  I  shall  be  con- 
fined in  my  historical  addresses  the  coming 
summer,  if  it  is  decided  to  spend  our  vaca- 
tion here  as  of  yore.  But  Frontenac  —  ah, 
even  now  I  am  tempted  to  dwell  upon  tlie 
glories  of  his  deeds,  the  recklessness  of  his 
daring,  the  shrewdness  of  his  surmises,  the 
tenacity  of  his  tendencies,  the  success  of  his 
searches,  the  pondering  of  his  path,  the  forts 
of  his  fortification,  and  something  like  a 
hundred  or  more  other  alliterative  phrases 
which  I  shall  safely  reserve  until  I  meet 
you  all  again. 

"  Now,  the  sight  of  the  before-mentioned 
house-boat  immediately  suggested  a  new 
plan  to  me.     The  owner  of  the  craft  wants 


.,: 


30      IIOUSE-IIOAT  ON   TIIK  ST.    LAWRENrE. 

to  rent  it  for  the  summer,  and  though  ne  has 
already  received  many  offers  for  it  (I  have 
his  own  word  as  to  that,  and  if  he  doesn't 
know,  I  don't  believe  any  other  person 
does),  for  the  sake  of  the  dignity  which  our 
party  would  impart  to  his  noble  vessel, 
he'll  let  it  go  to  us  for  the  consideration 
named  below  ;  l)ut  he  must  have  an  answer 
by  Friday  of  this  week.  And  seriously, 
Jock,  I  think  if  we  do  want  it,  word  will 
have  to  be  given  him  by  that  time.  Now,  if 
this  meets  your  approval,  and  incidentally 
that  of  your  father  and  of  the  other  fellows, 
I  think  it  would  be  a  great  thing  to  get  that 
house-boat.  It  would  be  a  movable  camp, 
you  see.  It  doesn't  leak,  no  panthers  or 
hedgehogs  could  climlj  it  and  devour  the 
inmates,  it's  well  fitted  out  with  those  things 
that  make  life  worth  living,  including  beds 
and  knives  and  forks,  and  there  will  also  be 
a  spoon  for  Bert,  and  if  I  receive  word  from 
you  by  Friday  of  this  week  I  can  secure  it. 
My  school  closes  on  Friday  of  next  week, 
and  then  I'll  be  free.  Write  me,  but  don't 
telegraph  me,  for  that  would  scare  Ethan ; 
and,  besides,  the  message  might  not  be 
delivered  unless  some  one  from  the  Corners 
happened  to  be  over  at  the  station,  and  as 


THE  PROJECT. 


87 


that  occurs  only  SLMni-occiisionally,  the  issue 
would  likely  be  in  doubt  for  some  years 
to  come. 

^^  You  can't  understand  how  hungry  T  am 
to  see  you  all  again.  And  that  Amherst 
game !  Alas  and  alas !  And  yet  again 
alas  !  And  once  more  with  a  '  tiger '  ! 
But  Frontenac  and  a  house-boat  will  do  their 
utmost  to  console  me  until  1  can  get  word 
of  the  score. 

"  I  trust  this  brief  note  will  find  you  well. 
I  found  this  poem  the  other  day  appended 
to  a  '  composition  '  on  '  Spring '  by  one  of 
my  scholars  :  — 

"  '  My  pen  is  poor,  my  ink  is  pale 

My  hand  it  shakes  like  a  puppy  clog's  tail.' 

"^Them's  my  sentiments  too,'  but  I'll 
try  to  write  more  next  time." 

"Ah,  that's  just  like  Bob,"  murmured 
Bert,  "  always  so  terse  and  concise  in  every 
statement  he  makes.  I  say,  Jock,  what  do 
you  do  when  he  writes  you  a  ^  long '  letter  ? 
He  calls  this  only  a  note." 

"  T  read  it  through  from  beginning  to  end. 
There  never  was  a  fellow  li^.e  Bob,"  replied 
Jock,  his  eyes  becoming  soft  at  the  mention 
of   his   friend.      "  Bert,  do  you  remember 


88     uousE-noAT  ON  riiK  sr.  Lawrence. 

that  place  in  Horace  we  were  reading  the 
other  (lay  ?  " 

'' '  We '  were  reading  ?  I  don't  know  that 
I  was  guilty  of  that.  But  jist  what  place 
do  you  refer  to  ?  " 

"  Why,  where  he's  writing  of  the  depart- 
ure of  his  friend,  and  calls  him  dunidlum 
mece  vltce." 

"  No,  I  can't  say  that  I  do,"  replied  Bert, 
shaking  his  head  in  mock  solemnity.  '*  Is 
that  Latin,  Jock  ?  " 

'*  It's  all  Greek  to  Bert,  anyway,"  inter- 
rupted Ben. 

"  You  tell  what  it  means  then,  my 
learn  <^riend,"  exclaimed  Bert,  turning 
quickly  upon  his  room-mate. 

"  It  means  ^  the  half  of  my  life,'  "  replied 
Ben,  proudly. 

For  a  moment  Bert  stared  at  his  friend  as 
if  he  did  not  really  believe  the  evidence  of 
his  senses.  ^'  Who  would  have  believed  it  ? 
Who  would  have  believed  it  ?"  he  murmured. 
''  Spike,  yes.  Spike,  actually  translating  a 
Latin  phrase !  I  would  that  the  faculty 
were  here.  How  it  would  encourage  them. 
Their  labor  has  not  all  been  in  vain." 

"  Keep  still,  Bert ;  can't  you  be  sober  for 
just  a  mmute  ?  "  said  Jock. 


THE  PItOJECT. 


39 


"  What  (lid  tliat  Latin  have  to  do  with 
Boh?  "  inquired  Ben. 

^^  Why,  it  seems  to  me  that  Bob  is  the 
half  of  my  life.  I  don't  believe  you  fellows 
appreciate  him  ;  but,  then,  he  never  roomed 
with  either  of  you.  He's  the  best  fellow 
that  ever  lived  !  I've  roomed  with  him 
two  years  now,  one  year  in  the  prep  school 
and  one  in  college,  and  I  tell  you  he's  just 
as  true  as  steel.  I've  never  known  him  to 
do  a  mean  thing  or  say  a  hard  word  of 
another  fellow  in  college.  He's  the  straight- 
eat,  cleanest  fellow  I  know,  and  generous ! 
Why,  I  wish  I  could  tell  you  some  things  I 
know!" 

Jock's  praise  of  his  friend  found  a  ready 
response,  though  each  might  have  expressed, 
had  he  been  so  minded,  the  thought  that, 
generous  as  Bob  was,  the  generosity  was 
not  confined  to  him,  for  a  better-hearted  lad 
than  Jock  Cope  neither  of  them  knew. 
The  four  friends  were  bound  together  by 
those  ties  which  can  dy  be  formed  in 
youth ;  and  happy  is  the  man  who  can  carry 
into  the  struggle  and  strife  of  the  days  of 
his  manhood  the  love  and  affection  formed 
in  the  earlier  time,  for  the  price  of  a  true 
friend  is  above  that  of  every  earthly  success. 


' 


4 


40      IIOU^E-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE, 

Still  Bert  was  not  entirely  willing  to 
abandon  his  banter,  and  said,  "  If  Bob  was, 
or  is,  the  half  of  your  life,  Jock,  where  do 
we  come  in  ?  " 

^'  A  fellow  can  have  a  good  many  halves 
in  his  heart,  can't  he?  Because  he  likes 
one  more  it  doesn't  mean  that  he  likes  the 
others  less.  But,  say,  fellows,  what  do  you 
think  of  this  plan  of  a  house-boat?" 

"  I  thhik  it's  great !  "  replied  Bert, 
promptly. 

"  Same  here,"  said  Ben,  with  enthusiasm. 

'•'Well,  then,  if  you're  agreed,  I  think  I'll 
go  down  there  to-niglit." 

"To-night?  To-night?  And  leave  all 
the  rest  of  Commencement  week  ?  You 
can't  do  that,  Jock  ;  and  besides,  you  don't 
know  what  your  father  will  have  to  say. 
He  may  veto  the  whole  plan ! "  said  Bert. 

"  He  won't  veto  it,"  replied  Jock,  with  a 
laugh.  "  He  wants  me  to  go  down  to  the 
Thousand  Islands  again,  it  did  me  so  much 
good  last  summer.  That  is,  if  you  fellows 
will  go  along  too." 

"  Your  powers  of  persuasion  are  too 
strong  for  me  to  resist,"  said  Bert;  "\  can- 
not refuse  such  an  invitation  when  I  knew 
that  it  will  do  you  so  nmch  good.     I  must 


THE  PROJECT. 


41 


cast  aside  my  own  selfish  feelings  at  the 
behest  of  so  manifest  a  duty." 

Jock  laughed,  as  he  said,  "All  right. 
I'll  telegraph  home  that  I'm  going  down 
the  St.  Lawrence,  and  my  mother  will  come 
a  little  later,  for  she's  going  to  spend  the 
summer  there.  Then  I'll  write  you  fellows 
and  you  can  come  down  next  week." 

"  Where'll  you  put  up  at  the  Corners?" 
inquired  Ben. 

"Oh,  Ethan  will  take  me  in,  I'm  sure. 
I'll  chance  it,  anyway." 

"  Feather  beds  and  fried  cakes  and  all  ?  " 

"  Yes,  all." 

On  his  way  to  luncheon  Jock  telegraphed 
to  Albany  for  a  section  in  the  sleeping  car, 
and  that  very  afternoon,  after  packing  his 
belongings  and  bidding  his  friends  and 
classmates  farewell,  departed  from  Will- 
iamstown,  hoping  to  surprise  his  friend 
Bob  Darnell  by  his  arrival  on  the  following 
morning. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


i.-i 


I 


m 


i 


THE   DRIVER. 

It  was  almost  nine  o'clock  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning  when  Jock  Cope,  with  his 
grip  in  his  hand,  alighted  at  the  little  sta- 
tion which  was  about  five  miles  from  his 
destination.  An  hour  before  this  time  he 
had  secured  his  breakfast  at  a  primitive 
eating-room  at  one  of  the  numerous  junc- 
tions of  the  railroad,  and  as  he  ate  he 
had  thought  of  Bob's  description  of  the 
menu  which  Ethan's  wife  prepared  for  her 
boarder.  So  hungry  had  Jock  been,  how- 
ever, that  the  excellence  of  the  repast  had 
soon  absorbed  all  his  thoughts  and  energy, 
and  now,  when  he  stepped  upon  the  rude 
platform  and  looked  about  him  for  some 
means  of  conveyance  by  which  he  might 
be  carried  to  the  Corners,  his  air  was  that 
of  a  young  gentleman  thoroughly  at  peace 
with  himself  and  with  all  the  world. 

The  sight  which  now  met  his  eyes  was 

42 


.  ;>„-  '.'■.'(^■"..l.'.i^^.'i'.::; 


THE  DRIVER. 


48 


le  fol- 

ith  his 

le  sta- 

)m  his 

Line  he 

mitive 

1  junc- 

ite  he 

)f   the 

* 

3r  her 

,  how- 

. 

5t  had 

Qergy, 

'i 

!  rude 

some 

might 

5  that 

i'A^A 

peace 

as  novel  as  his  recent  breakfast  had  been. 
The  noisy  train  was  already  disappearing 
around  the  curve  in  the  road,  leaving  be- 
hind it  a  cloud  of  heavy  black  smoke  and 
cinders.  Upon  the  platform  were  two  or 
three  men  and  boys,  the  former  with  their 
trousers  tucked  inside  their  heavy  cowhide 
boots,  and  the  freckle-faced  youngsters  were 
gazing  at  him  with  an  interest  and  curi- 
osity as  keen  as  if  he  had  been  a  being 
from  another  world,  as  indeed  he  was  to 
these  rustic  beholders,  who  perhaps  had 
never  been  outside  the  region  in  which 
they  had  been  born. 

As  no  one  spoke  to  him,  and  apparently 
the  only  vehicle  in  sight  was  a  heavy 
lumber  wagon  from  which  two  men  were 
unloading  boxes  of  cheese,  Jock  decided 
that  he  must  take  the  initiative;  and,  if 
there  was  no  one  to  offer  him  a  conveyance, 
he  must  find  one  for  himself. 

Accordingly  he  approached  one  of  the 
boys  and  said,  "  Is  there  a  hack  here  ?  Is 
there  any  one  I  can  get  to  take  me  over  to 
the  Corners?" 

"  Hey  ?  "  replied  the  lad,  staring  at  him 
with  open-eyed  wonder. 

I  want  to  get  some  one  to  take  me  over 


44      nOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 


n 


to  the  Corners,"  repeated  Jock.  "  How  far 
is  it  over  there  ?  About  five  miles,  isn't 
it?" 

"  I  guess  so,"  answered  the  boy,  slowly, 
as  if  he  did  not  fully  comprehend  the  ques- 
tion. 

"  Is  there  any  one  here  to  take  me  over 
there?" 

"  I  hain't  seen  nobody,  no  time,  not  this 
mornin',"  replied  the  boy,  throwing  in  as 
many  negatives  as  possible,  doubtless  in 
order  to  increase  the  force  of  his  words. 

"But  isn't  there  some  one  I  can  get? 
I'll  pay  him  well." 

"  I  don't  know  nobody." 

"Don't  they  have  a  stage?  How  do 
they  carry  the  mail  ? " 

"Oh,  yes,  the's  a  stage;  but  it  don't  go 
yet." 

"  When  does  it  go  ?  " 

"  When  the  train  comes  from  the  north. 
Jim  Haynes,  he  drives  the  stage;  but  he 
makes  only  two  trips  a  day.  He  goes  over 
in  the  mornin'  and  comes  back  at  night." 

"How  long  will  it  be  before  the  train 
comes  from  the  north  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know ;  about  t'vo  hour,  I  guess, 
if  she's  on  time,  which  don't  happen  very 


THE  DlilVER. 


45 


often.  'Most  alius  she's  a  hour  or  two 
late." 

Jock  looked  at  his  watch  helplessly.  Tf 
tlie  boy  had  spoken  truly,  it  would  be 
almost  noontime  before  he  would  arrive  at 
the  Corners.  However,  the  station  agent 
having  confirmed  the  statement  of  the  lad, 
Jock  decided  to  make  the  best  of  it,  and 
so,  entering  the  waiting-room,  seated  him- 
self to  wait  for  tlie  arrival  of  the  train 
from  the  north. 

On  the  walls  of  the  room  were  hanging 
two  or  three  time-tables  and  placards,  which 
with  startling  type  urged  the  beholders  to 
go  West  by  the  only  route  worthy  of  con- 
sideration. Jock  wondered  whether  these 
invitations  were  genuine  or  not,  for  it  did 
not  seem  as  if  any  one  from  the  region 
would  ever  go  anywhere.  In  one  corner, 
upon  a  rude  bracket,  was  a  pail  of  water, 
and  a  tin  cup  was  attached  to  it  by  a  small 
chain  as  if  perhaps  the  cup  itself  by  some 
strange  and  unaccountable  freak  might 
suddenly  break  away  from  its  surroundings 
and  unexpectedly  decide  to  accept  the  afore- 
said invitation  and  go  West  by  the  best 
route  in  America.  The  benches  creaked 
and  groaned  whenever  he  stirred,  and  had 


i^ 


Vi- 


46      nOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

been  so  cut  and  carved  by  the  knives  of 
former  occupants  that  they  were  as  scarred 
as  the  veterans  of  many  wars. 

Jock  soon  discovered  that  the  part  of  the 
native  population  which  lingered  in  the 
vicinity  appeared  to  be  controlled  by  an 
unconquerable  thirst,  for  at  intervals  of 
only  a  few  minutes  men  and  boys  entered 
the  room  and  slowly  drank  from  the  tin 
cup,  glancing  at  him  as  they  did  so  over 
the  top  of  that  useful  utensil. 

There  was  an  almost  uninterrupted  click- 
ing of  the  telegraph  instrument  in  the 
ticket  office,  but  the  agent,  who  seemed 
to  combine  many  offices  and  duties  in  one, 
apparently  gave  it  slight  heed,  and  went 
on  with  his  report  which  was  spread  out 
on  a  table  before  him. 

For  a  time  the  very  novelty  of  the  scene 
was  sufficient  of  itself  to  interest  J^v,rv,  but 
when  an  hour  had  elapsed  and  still  there 
was  no  sign  of  the  longed-for  train  from  the 
north,  he  arose  from  his  seat,  and  approach- 
ing the  little  window  of  the  ticket  office 
inquired,  "  Can  you  tell  me  when  the  train 
from  the  north  is  due  ? " 

"  It's  due  now,  but  its  thirty-one  minutes 
late." 


THE  DRIVER. 


•47 


"Will  it  make  up  any  time  before  it 
arrives  here  ?  " 

"  No,  'tisn't  likely  to." 

"  Will  the  stage  for  the  Corners  wait  for 
that  train  ?  " 

"  Yes.     Be  you  goin'  to  the  Corners  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Will  I  find  the  stage  here  at  the 
station  ?  " 

"  I  guess  ye  will  if  ye  look  sharp.  Least- 
wise its  here  now." 

"  Here  now  ?  Where  ?  I  don't  see 
it,"  replied  Jock,  looking  quickly  about 
him. 

"That's  it  right  eout  thar  by  that  'ere 
hitchin'  post;"  and  as  he  spoke  the  agent 
pointed  to  a  one-horse  conveyance  standing 
near  the  building.  The  horse  appeared  as 
if  his  days  and  nights  had  been  spent  in 
waiting,  and  that  he  did  not  much  care  if 
all  his  remaining  days,  which  did  not  prom- 
ise to  be  many  if  appearances  were  to  be 
trusted,  were  to  be  passed  in  the  same 
occupation.  His  head  was  hanging  low, 
and  even  his  ears  partook  of  the  dejected 
bearing  and  manner  of  their  owner.  One 
of  the  wheels  of  the  rickety  open  wagon  to 
which  he  was  attached  had  been  placed  on 
the  axlo  with  the  front  side  turned  in,  and 


II 


48      HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


I  is! 


Hi.'!'! 


altogether  a  more  forlorn  combination  Jock 
thought  he  never  had  seen. 

However,  he  laughed  good-naturedly,  and, 
striving  to  possess  his  soul  in  patience, 
walked  out  of  the  room.  The  men  were 
still  unloading  cheese,  though,  as  he  glanced 
again  at  them,  he  perceived  that  it  was  a 
fresh  consignment  which  had  come,  and 
not  the  one  which  he  had  seen  upon  his 
arrival.  The  tow-headed  boys,  most  of 
whom  were  barefooted,  were  "  walking  the 
track "  or  leaping  across  the  rails ;  but 
though  they  displayed  considerable  energy 
in  these  occupations,  they  seldom  spoke, 
and,  when  they  did,  it  was  in  subdued  tones, 
far  different  from  the  noisy  urchins  whom 
Jock  was  accustomed  to  see  in  the  city 
streets.  Altogether  the  scene  impressed 
him  as  so  novel  and  so  unlike  anything  he 
had  ever  seen  before,  that  his  interest  was 
aroused ;  and,  almost  before  he  was  aware 
that  the  time  was  gone,  he  heard  the  shrill 
screech  of  the  approaching  locomotive,  and, 
looking  up,  beheld  the  cloud  of  smoke 
and  dust  that  marked  the  arrival  of  the 
longed-for  "  train  from  the  north." 

Instantly  the  attitude  and  action  of  all 
about  the  little  station  changed.     The  boys 


THE  DRIVER. 


49 


ceased  their  athletic  sports,  and  even  the 
boxes  of  cheese  for  the  moment  did  not 
absorb  the  attention  of  the  toiling  men. 
One  ear  of  the  patient  stage-horse  was 
pricked  up  as  if  he  too  realized  that  some- 
thing out  of  the  ordinary  course  of  events 
was  about  to  happen,  and  then  Jock  dimly 
began  to  perceive  what  the  arrival  of  a 
train  in  a  remote  little  hamlet  meant  to  the 
inhabitants  thereof.  It  was  the  one  con- 
necting link  between  them  and  that  vast 
and  dim  world  outside,  a  world  unknown, 
but  which  after  all  must  be,  since  occasion- 
ally some  traveller  comes  from  its  distant 
regions.  It  was  opera,  concert,  theatre, 
lecture  all  in  one  —  the  one  break  in  the 
monotony  of  the  life  and  the  one  convincing 
proof  that  the  place  was  somehow  con- 
nected with  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  not 
cut  off  by  itself,  else  that  throbbing,  puffing 
engine  and  its  train  of  three  cars  would  not 
make  its  daily  stop. 

Even  Jock  found  himself  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  approaching  train  ;  and  when 
for  a  brief  time  it  halted  before  the 
station  he  watched  the  two  passengers  who 
alighted  and  the  three  who  scrambled  has- 
tily on  board  as  if  they  were  fearful  that 


V 


A 


!i! 


I  li'i: 


M 


50      TIOUSE-noAT  ON  riJE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

tbey  would  bo  left  behind,  with  an  interest 
such  as  lie  had  seldom  before  felt.  As  soon 
as  the  cars  resumed  their  journey,  he  has- 
tened across  the  sandy  road  and  climbed 
into  the  creaking  "stage,"  which  groaned 
almost  as  if  it  were  human,  and  rebelled 
against  anything  being  added  to  the  load 
it  was  compelled  to  carry. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  man,  who  evi- 
dently was  the  driver,  approached,  and 
Jock  found  himself  returning  the  half  curi- 
ous stare  with  which  he  was  greeted.  The 
man  was  a  tall,  ungainly  specimen,  with  a 
beard  of  bright  red  which  he  had  permitted 
to  grow  long  upon  his  chin.  His  trousers, 
too,  were  tucked  inside  his  boots,  as  if  he 
was  fearful  lest  some  harm  might  come  to 
them  if  they  were  left  exposed ;  and  the  de- 
termined manner  in  which  he  held  tlic  whip 
in  his  right  hand  impressed  his  sole  pas- 
senger that  here  at  least  was  a  man  who 
would  make  good  speed,  and  that  they 
would  arrive  at  the  Corners  in  ample  time 
for  dinner.  Alas  for  human  hopes  and  the 
deceptive  appearances  of  all  mankind  ! 

"Is  this  the  stage  for  the  Corners?" 
inquired  Jock. 

"  I'm  calc'latin'  that's  what  it  is/'  replied 


pas- 
Lvho 

hey 
lime 

the 


>> 


^^*5s 


lied 


'Is    THIS    THK    STACJK    FOR    TIIK    CoUNKHsV"       Page  50. 


rilK  DHIVKTI. 


61 


the  driver,  whose  curiosity  as  to  his  pas- 
senger was  evidently  keen,  though  somev/hat 
suppressed. 

When  he  grasped  the  reins  and  spoke  to 
his  horse  in  tones  such  as  he  might  have 
used  if  he  had  been  calling  him  from  the 
farther  side  of  an  immense  pasture,  Jock 
grasped  the  sides  of  his  rickety  seat,  half 
expecting  to  be  thrown  from  the  wagon  by 
the  burst  of  speed  which  would  follow.  To 
his  surprise,  however,  the  hcrse  began  to 
move  slowly,  and  evidently  was  either 
accustomed  to  the  loud  tones  of  his  driver, 
or  was  so  engrossed  in  the  thoughts  of  his 
far-away  early  days  that  the  present  had 
slight  influence  upon  him.  Jock's  surprise 
was  still  further  increased,  when  he  dis- 
covered that  before  the  real  journey  was 
begun  they  were  to  go  up  to  the  little  post- 
office,  where  the  mail  was  to  be  "over- 
hauled," and  the  portion  for  ohe  Corners 
was  to  be  placed  in  a  separate  pouch. 

He  waited  patiently  for  this  process  to  be 
completed,  seated  meanwhile  in  the  stage  in 
front  of  the  office,  and  curiously  observing 
the  people  who  slowly  entered  the  building, 
waiting  for  their  second  daily  excitement, 
—  the  distribution  of  the  mail. 


52      HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 


1^ 


Hi 


I!    I 


w  I 


'  ml 


li 


At  last  the  driver  came  forth,  swinging  a 
pouch  which  in  its  size  seemed  sadly  out  of 
proportion  to  the  small  bundle  of  mail  mat- 
ter it  contained,  and,  throwing  it  into  the 
wagon,  resumed  his  seat,  and  once  more 
Jock  thought  they  were  to  go  on  their  way. 

Again  he  was  doomed  to  disappointment, 
for  it  speedily  became  evident  that  other 
errands  were  to  be  don  3  before  that  event- 
ful moment  should  arrive.  Various  pur- 
chases were  to  be  made  at  the  village 
stores ;  but  even  these  at  last  were  com- 
pleted, and,  after  a  full  half-hour  had 
elapsed,  the  driver  once  more  resumed  his 
seat,  and  in  stentorian  tones  called  upon 
his  steed  to  "g'long"  and  "git  up,"  and 
slowly  the  stage  started  on  its  journey  to  the 
Corners. 

The  curiosity  of  the  driver  at  last  could 
not  be  restrained,  and,  turning  partly  about 
in  his  seat  and  glancing  keenly  at  Jock 
as  he  spoke,  he  said,  ^'  Mebbe  ye're  a 
drummer  ?  " 

*'  A  drummer  ?  "  replied  Jock,  in  surprise. 
"  No,  I  never  played  a  drum  in  my  life." 

"  I  don't  mean  ye  play  a  drum,  but 
mebbe  ye're  an  agent  for  some  thin'  or 
other." 


iTF  -.'■I'i^M-.-", 


THE  DRIVER. 


53 


"  No,  I'm  not  an  agent,"  said  Jock, 
smilingly. 

For  a  moment  the  driver  was  evidently 
foiled,  biio  his  curiosity  would  not  down, 
and  after  a  brief  sik/'ce  he  said,  "  Goin'  a 
visitin'  ?" 

"  Not  exactly." 

'^  Well,  who  be  ye,  and  what  ye  goin'  to 
the  Corners  for,  anyway?" 

"  I'm  going  over  there  to  see  a  friend." 

'' That's  it!  I  knew  it  the  minit  I  sot 
eyes  on  ye.  I  jest  knew  ye  was  either  a 
drummer  or  was  goin'  a  visitin'.  Who 
might  it  be  ye  was  a  goin'  to  visit  ?  " 

"  I'm  going  to  see  a  friend  of  mine  who 
is  teaching  school  there  now." 

"  Ho !  Young  Darnell  ?  I  know  him. 
I  know  him  like  a  book." 

"  I  hope  you  don't  know  anything  bad 
about  him." 

"  Not  a  bit.  Not  a  bit.  I  guess  he 
knows  books  all  right,  and  the  boys  dew 
say  he's  a  'tarnal  good  ball  player  tew. 
Yes,  sir,  he  goes  right  eout  with  the  boys 
after  school  and  plays  ball  with  'em.  They 
played  a  nine  from  Hoseaville  last  Sat'day 
and  beat  'em  high  and  dry  tow.  They  say 
as  how  the  teaclier  made  six  home  runs  in 


Ill 


54     nousE-noAT  on  the  st.  lawrence. 

that  'ere  game.     He's  all  right  with  the 
boys,  I  tell  ye !  " 

^'  Six  home  rims !  What  was  the  score?" 
'^  Forty-one  to  thirty-seven.  Yes,  sir, 
beat  'em  high  an  dry !  First  time  m  six 
year  that  the  Corners  has  walloped  Hosea- 
ville,  an'  'twas  mostly  the  teacher's  doi  s 
too,  what  did  it !  'Tisn't  frequent  a  young 
fellow  comes  here  like  that.  'Most  alius 
it's  t'other  way.     The  young  fellows  leave 


us. 

As  Jock  remained  silent,  thinking  of  the 
marvellous  score  by  which  the  superiority  of 
the  Corners  over  Hoseaville  had  been  dem- 
onstrated and  what  pleasure  the  description 
of  that  game  would  give  to  Bert  and  Ben, 
the  driver  continued  his  talk,  interrupting 
himself  occasionally  to  shout  at  his  horse 
and  threaten  him  with  dire  punishment  if 
his  pace  was  not  quickened. 

"Yes,  sir,  'most  o'  eour  bo}  leave  us. 
Now,  there  was  Lish  Tintle.  La'^t  year  he 
went  off  to  Klondike  and  come  uack  rich, 
rich  as  mud.  Heow  much  d'ye  s'pose  he 
had  when  he  got  here  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.     How  much  had  he?  " 

"A  million  dollars.  Yes,  sir,  a  mil-1-1- 
ion  dollars  in  cold  cash !     Fust  thing  he  did 


THE  DRIVER, 


56 


was  ter  buy  the  Weaver  place  fur  his  ma. 
Paid  nine  liundred  and  fifty  dollars  and 
fifty  cents  spot  cash,  riglit  deown.  Yes, 
sir,  that's  jest  what  he  did!  Then  he  went 
an'  bought  his  sister,  —  she  that's  Sary 
Sloan  now,  lives  right  over  by  the  school- 
heouse,  —  he  bought  her  a  pianny.  Yes, 
sir,  that's  jest  what  he  did.  Paid  a  hnn- 
dred  an'  tew  dollars  fur  it  cash,  right  down, 
sir,  an'  didn't  seem  to  mind  it  no  more'n 
you  or  I  would  mind  payin'  tew  cents  fur 
a  postage  stamp.  An',  sir,  if  ye'd  b'lieve 
me,  they  do  say  as  heow  he's  got  a  gov'- 
ment  bond !  I  ain't  seen  that  mv^clf ,  but 
I've  seen  them  as  has,  an'  the'  say  it's  jest 
as  trew  as  the  gospel.  What  d'ye  think  o' 
that  for  the  Corners?' 

'^I  think  it's  great,"  replied  Jock.  ^'But 
isn't  that  the  Corners  we  can  see  ahead  of 
us?" 

"  That's  what  'tis ;  g'lang  there,  Jehu ! 
What's  the  matter  ails  ye  this  morn  in'  ?  I 
guess  ye  forget  them  oats  I  give  ye  last 
week!"  G'lang!  G'lang!" 

Perhaps  the  reference  to  the  feast  of 
former  days  inspired  the  steed  with  new 
zeal.  At  all  events  he,  too,  had  spied  the 
end  of  his  journey,  and  v:ith  a  quickened 


M 


•11 


■ir 


56    nousE-noAT  on  the  st.  lawrknce. 

pace  started  down  the  last  long  hill  that 
led  to  the  Corners,  and  a  few  minutes  after- 
ward halted  before  the  post-office,  where 
Jock,  grip  in  hand,  speedily  alighted  and 
was  about  to  start  toward  the  schoolhouse, 
which  he  could  see  in  the  distance,  when 
the  voice  of  the  driver  once  more  rudely 
recalled  him  to  a  duty  he  had  neglected. 


CHAPTER  V. 


A    WELCOME    FROM    ETHAN. 


"Haven't  ye  forgot  somethin'  ?"  called 
the  driver,  sharply. 

"  Forgotten  something  ?  Why,  I  didn't 
know  that  I  had,"  replied  Jock,  as  he  turned 
back  toward  the  stage.  "Why,  so  I  have," 
he  exclaimed,  a  moment  afterward.  "  I 
forgot  to  give  you  my  fare.  How  much 
is  it?" 

"  Seein'  as  it's  you,  I'll  only  charge  ye  four 
shillin'.  It's  really  wurth  more'n  that,  but 
'  Live,  an'  let  live,'  that's  my  motto  every 
day  in  the  year." 

Jock  failed  to  notice  that  the  driver  was 
shrewdly  watching  him  as  he  spoke,  and,  in 
his  eagerness  to  start  at  once  for  the  school- 
house,  he  drew  forth  the  coin  and  handed 
it  to  the  man.  Then,  resuming  his  walk,  he 
turned  once  more  toward  the  temple  of 
learning,  and  soon  entered  the  adjoining 
yard. 

67 


68    uousE-noAT  on  the  st.  lawrenge. 


I 


i 


As  he  glanced  at  his  Avatch  he  saw  that 
it  was  not  yet  one  o'clock,  and  this  fact 
accounted  for  the  presence  of  the  boys  who 
were  playing  ball  in  the  few  minutes  that 
yet  remained  before  the  assembling  of  the 
school.  At  the  farther  side  of  the  yard 
he  discovered  the  teacher  himself  joining  in 
the  game  of  his  pupils,  and  Jock  had  come 
close  to  his  side  before  his  presence  was  dis- 
covered. For  a  moment  Bob  gazed  blankly 
at  him  as  if  he  mistrusted  his  own  vision, 
then,  dropping  his  bat,  he  eagerly  seized  the 
outstretched  hand  of  his  friend  and  wrung 
it  till  the  tears  almost  started  in  Jock's  eyes. 

«<  Why,  old  man,"  he  exclaimed,  '^  where 
in  the  world  did  you  come  from  ?  You're 
the  last  person  I  expected  to  see  here.  Did 
you  drop  from  the  clouds  ?  " 

"  Hardly,"  Jock  managed  to  ejaculate,  as 
he  freed  his  hand  from  the  teacher's  grasp. 
"  I  just  this  minute  alighted  from  the  stage. 
1  left  Williamstown  yesterday  afternoon." 

"  You  did  !  How  are  the  fellows  ?  And 
say,  Jock,  what  was  the  score  in  the  Am- 
herst game  ?  " 

^'  Seven  to  five." 

"  In  whose  favor  ?  " 

"  Ours." 


A    WELCOME  FROM  ETIlAN. 


69 


"  You  don't  mean  it !  That's  all  right ! 
And  we  really  won,  did  we  ? " 

"  You'd  have  thought  so  if  you  had  heard 
the  crowd  yell.  Couldn't  you  hear  it  up 
here?" 

"  Hear  it  up  here  ?  You  don't  under- 
stand the  situation,  I  fancy.  If  all  the 
world  was  gathered  together  to  give  three 
cheers  for  Old  Williams,  the  sound  wouldn't 
get  in  here  till  the  earth  turned  over  and 
caught  the  echo.  We  didn't  hear  anything 
in  this  part  of  the  country.  Jock,  have  you 
had  anything  to  eat  ?  " 

"  Not  since  morning." 

^'I'll  tell  you,  then,  what  you're  to  do. 
Go  right  down  the  street  to  that  little  wood- 
colored  house  yonder,  the  one  with  the  great 
buttonwood  tree  in  front.  That's  wliere 
Ethan  lives,  and  if  he's  at  home  you  won't 
need  to  ask  for  anything,  for  he  never 
tires  of  singing  your  praises.  If  he  isn't 
there,  just  tell  Mrs.  Ethan  who  you  are, 
and  she'll  fix  you  out.  I'd  go  myself 
with  you,  only  it's  tune  for  me  to  begin 
school.  You'll  come  right  back,  won't 
you,  Jock,  just  as  soon  as  you've  had 
your  dinner?" 

''  I  will  that." 


r^ 


60      HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

"  All  right,  then,  I'll  expect  you  without 
fail  in  an  hour  or  two." 

Bob  entered  the  building,  and  in  a  mo- 
ment returned  with  a  large  bell  in  his  hand 
which  he  rang  vigorously  as  he  stood  in  the 
doorway.  Instantly  tlie  boys  and  girls 
stopped  their  play  and  slowly  began  to  file 
into  the  schoolhouse.  Jock  was  an  in- 
terested beholder  of  all  that  occurred,  but, 
as  his  friend  lingered  for  a  moment  and 
waved  his  hand  at  him,  he  concluded  that 
the  time  for  him  to  depart  had  come,  and 
accordingly,  with  his  grip  still  in  his  hand, 
started  down  the  village  street. 

It  all  seemed  so  strange  and  unusual  to 
him  tliat  he  was  gazing  curiously  about  him 
as  he  passed  on.  The  low  houses,  for  the 
most  part  unpainted  and  weather-beaten, 
the  garden  attached  to  each  place,  the 
sombre  barns,  the  few  people  to  be  seen,  and 
the  deep  silence  that  rested  over  the  ham- 
let made  the  life  of  the  great  city  in  which 
he  had  his  home,  and  the  sliouts  and  cheers 
of  the  noisy  college  boys  he  had  so  recently 
left  behind  him,  all  seem  unreal  and  like 
a  dream. 

In  the  distance  were  the  blue  waters  of 
the  mighty  St.  Lawrence,  but  not  a  vessel 


A    WELCOME  FROM   ETIIaN. 


61 


of  any  kind  could  he  discover.  An  air  of 
eternal  calm  seemed  to  pervade  all  things. 
The  summer  skies,  the  distant  woods,  the 
ramhling  village  street,  were  like  the  parts 
of  some  landscape  on  canvas,  beautiful  and 
suggestive,  but  without  a  sign  of  life  or 
action.  As  he  walked  on,  he  noticed  that 
he  was  passing  over  a  plank  sid^^walk,  and 
he  almost  laughed  aloud  as  he  recalled  the 
play  of  "  Ilamlick  "  which  had  been  given 
in  the  preceding  summer  to  raise  the 
necessary  funds  by  which,  doubtless,  this 
very  walk  had  been  obtained. 

His  thoughts  were  recalled  to  his  present 
existence  by  the  discovery  of  some  one 
seated  on  the  low  piazza  which  extended 
around  two  sides  of  Ethan's  house,  and  a 
moment  afterward  he  knew  that  the  per- 
son was  none  other  than  Ethan  himself. 
He  was  tipped  back  in  his  chair  against 
the  side  of  the  house,  and  was  smoking 
his  pipe  with  an  air  of  content  that  seemed 
to  be  a  part  of  the  peacefulness  of  the  day 
itself.  The  very  same  hat  which  he  had 
worn  in  the  preceding  summer  was  on 
his  head,  and  he  was  coatless,  as  was  his 
custom.  Indeed,  the  only  time  Jock  could 
recollect   when   he  had   seen  the  boatman 


G2      JIOUSK'UOAT  O.V    THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 


clad  in  that  garment  was  at  tlie  immortal 
play  of  "llamlick,"  but  even  then  it  had 
not  seemed  t(j  belong  in  very  truth  to  its 
wearer. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Ethan?"  called  Jock, 
after  he  had  halted  for  a  moment  before 
the  house,  hoping  that  the  boatman  would 
look  up  and  see  him. 

"How  d'do?"  responded  Ethan,  slowly, 
scarcely  turning  his  head  as  he  spoke. 
A  moment  later,  however,  after  glancing 
at  his  visitor,  he  discovered  who  it  was 
that  had  hailed  him,  and  a  sudden  change 
came  over  him.  The  chair  dropped  quickly 
to  the  floor  of  the  piazza,  and  Ethan  leaped 
up  to  greet  his  visitor. 

'^  Bless  me  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  If  it  isn't 
little  Jock  !     Where  did  ye  come  from  ?  " 

"  I  came  from  college  here  to  see  Bob, 
and  you,  and  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  a  few 
other  persons  and  things.  I  trust  you  are 
glad  to  see  me." 

"  Glad  to  see  ye  ?  Well  I  should  say  I 
be  !  I  wouldn't  be  gladder  if  ye  were  Tom 
himself.    Have  ye  heard  from  Tom  lately  ?  " 

"  Yes,  father  w^rites  me  that  Tom  is 
doing  great  work,  and  that  he  is  going  to 
promote  him." 


!   .    . 


A    WELCOME  FltOM  ETIIA.W. 


68 


^ly, 


isn  t 

Q?" 

Bob, 

few- 

are 

m 

"  Yo  don't  say  so!  Well,  that's  right, 
that's  right.  Come  right  in.  Ma  will  he  jest 
as  ticikled  to  see  ye  as  1  bo.  Ma  1  ma  !  "  he 
shouted  in  stentorian  tones.  ''  Come  out 
here !  I've  got  something  to  show  ye." 

Thus  bidden,  Mistress  Ethan  speedily 
appeared,  wiping  her  hands  on  her  apron 
and  evidently  somewhat  startled  by  the 
unexpectedly  vigorous  had  of  her  husband. 
Her  matronly  form  and  kind  and  benignant 
face  were  the  very  personification  of  good- 
ness, and  as  soon  as  he  had  seen  her  Jock 
had  no  difficulty  in  understanding  the  warm 
praise  which  Bob  had  bestowed  upon  her. 

"  Here's  Jock  Cope,  young  Jock,  I  mean," 
exclaimed  Ethan  as  the  partner  of  his  joys 
appeared ;  and  the  warm  and  motherly 
greeting  she  bestowed  upon  her  visitor  at 
once  made  "young Jock"  sure  of  his  wel- 
come. 

There  were  many  questions  to  be  an- 
swered, chief  among  which  was  Tom's  well- 
being  and  success,  and  when  at  last  their 
desires  in  this  respect  had  been  satisfied, 
Ethan  suddenly  exclaimed,  "Have  ye  had 
any  dinner,  Jock?" 

"No,  I  haven't,"  replied  Jock,  "and  I'm 
ready  for  some  too." 


i; 

1 

64      JIOUSE-nOAT  ON    THE  sr.    LAWUKSCK. 

"  8it  right  down  and  ina'U  a'toiid  to  yer 
wants  afore  ye  know  it." 

''  I'd  rather  have  a  bowl  of  bread  and 
milk  than  anything  else." 

"  Sho  !  That'll  never  do.  Ma'll  get  ye 
up  something  hot." 

Bnt  Jock  was  persistent,  and  so  was  soon 
seated  before  the  table  uixm  which  his 
hostess  had  placed  a  bowl  of  bread  and 
milk,  a  plate  of  ''fried  cakes"  and  an 
ample  pie.  Ethan  was  too  interested  an 
observer  to  leave  his  yonng  friend,  and 
accompanied  him  into  the  kitchen  when 
the  feast  was  spread. 

"  I  hope  Tom's  careful  o'  his  money," 
he  suggested. 

"  I  don't  believe  he's  likely  to  become 
extravagant  on  his  present  salary,"  replied 
Jock,  smilingly. 

"  1  don't  know  'bout  that.  When  a 
young  fellow  like  Tom  gets  nine  dollars  a 
week,  it's  a  temptation  to  him.  An'  then 
the  city's  a  dredful  place,  I'm  told.  Full 
o'  pickpockets  and  thieves  and  all  sorts  o' 
burglarous  folks." 

"I'm  not  a  bit  afraid  of  Tom,"  said  his 
mother,  stoutly.  "  Tom  was  always  a  good 
boy,  an'  I  don't  b'lieve  he'll  be  gettin'  into 


A    WKLCOMK  FROM  ETHAN. 


65 


trouble  doown  to  Now  York  a  l)it  m  )re'n 
ii(»  would  hero  at  the  Coruors.  There's 
wi(ilvi!diicss  enou<j,h  au'  to  nparo  'uiost  ovory- 
wiioro,  I'ui  thinkiir." 

*'Jost  hear  ma  talk,"  oxclainiod  Ethan, 
his  eyes  glisten inii;.  "  She's  as  proud  o'  Tom 
as  if  ho  was  made  o'  gold." 

"  I'm  not  a  hit  prouder'n  pa  is,"  said 
Tom's  mother,  smilingly. 

'•  I  think  Tom's  a  fc^llow  of  whom  any 
one  might  be  proud,"  said  Jock,  who  had 
boon  strongly  moved  l)y  the  manifest  ail'eo- 
tion  in  the  home.  After  all,  it  seemed  to 
matter  little  whether  it  was  in  the  great 
city  or  in  the  humbler  abodes  of  the  remote 
regions,  the  love  of  father  and  mother  was 
nuK^li  the  same.  And  what  a  wealth  it  was 
too !  Happy  the  lad  who  knew,  no  matter 
how  the  world  might  feel  toward  him,  or 
how  hard  the  experiences  of  life  might  be, 
that  there  was  always  one  spot  on  earth 
from  which  prayers  and  love  rose  for  him 
like  incense  from  an  altar,  and  to  which  he 
could  turn,  sure  of  a  welcome  and  an  affec- 
tion never  to  be  lost.  He  thought  of  those 
who  were  following  him  with  a  love  and 
interest  as  keen  as  that  manifested  in  this 
humble  home  in  the  Corners,  and  somehow 


r 


mssm 


66       nOUSK-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 


I 


his  eyes  were  moist  and  his  heart  was  warm 
at  the  recollection. 

"  Can  you  put  me  up  here  for  a  day  or 
two,  Ethan?"  he  inquired. 

''  Put  ye  up  ?  Well,  I  should  say  we 
could,"  remarked  Ethan,  warmly. 

"  You  can  let  me  room  with  Bob." 

^'  Course." 

"  The  driver  told  me  that  Bob  was  doing 
well  in  his  school." 

"  ^  Well  ? '  I  rather  guess  so  !  There 
hasn't  been  such  a  teacher  here  in  years  as 
this  Bob  o'  yours.  I'd  hardly  have  thunk 
it  from  what  I  see  o'  him  last  summer,  but 
he's  done  wonders,  Bob  has.  Lots  o'  our 
teachers  is  put  out  'cause  they  haven't  no 
discipline ;  but  Bob  somehow  manages  to 
keep  the  scholars  so  interested  he  doesn't 
seem  to  have  no  trouble,  not  a  bit.  He 
liasn't  licked  one  o'  the  scholars,  has  he, 
ma?  Not  even  the  Bamford  boys,  what 
have  been  the  terror  o'  every  teacher  here." 

"No,  he  hasn't  had  any  trouble,"  replied 
Ethan's  wife,  kindly.  "  They  all  seem  to 
like  him  very  much." 

"  If  ye  don't  think  ye'll  eat  the  whole  o' 
that  pie,  I  might  help  ye  out  a  bit,  jest  to 
be  polite,"  suggested  Ethan,  gazing  fondly 
at  the  table  as  he  spoke. 


A    WELCOME  FROM  ETHAN. 


07 


*'  Pa,  you  had  three  pieces  at  dinner," 
suggested  his  wife,  reprovingly. 

"  Can't  help  that,  Hannah,  when  it's 
your  pie  I  jest  have  to.  If  'twas  some- 
body else's,  'twould  be  a  different  thing." 

'•How  much  do  ye  want,  pa?"  she 
inquired,  smiling  at  Ethan's  compliment, 
and  taking  a  knife  in  her  hand. 

'^  Oh,  jesv  a  bite,  jest  a  bite." 

The  worthy  woman  cut  the  pie  in  halves, 
and,  taking  one  half  in  his  hands,  Ethan 
tipped  back  his  chair  and  proceeded  to 
''  punish "  his  piece,  as  he  termed  it,  but 
without  interrupting  his  conversation  with 
Jock. 

"  Ye  come  over  on  the  stage,  did  ye  ? " 
he  inquired. 

"  Yes." 

"  How  much  did  Sam  Morey  tax  ye  ? '' 

"  Fiftv  cents." 

"  Four  shillin'  ?  Four  shillin'  ?"  excl.iimei 
Ethan,  aghast,  bringing  his  chair  down  to 
the  floor  with  a  bang  and  even  pausing  for 
a  moment  in  his  consternation  in  the  pleas- 
ing occupation  in  which  he  was  engaged. 
"  The  rascal !  He  never  charges  more'n 
two  shillin',  and  he's  jest  done  the  highway 
robbery  on  ye !  I'll  see  Sam  Morey  my- 
self this  very  day  about  that." 


ill 


i>  If  V 


:\\ 


il'l 


IM 


ill 


68      HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

"Oh,  let  him  go.  J  had  the  worth  of 
my  m.oney.  He  told  me  that  Bob  played  on 
youi  ball  nine  against  Hoseaville." 

"He  told  ye  about  that,  did  he?"  said 
Ethan,  instantly  mollified.  "  Them  Hosea- 
ville fellows  was  the  most  stuck-iip  chaps 
ye  ever  see,  an'  the  way  the  wind  was  took 
out  o'  their  sails  was  a  caution.  An'  Bob 
done  it!  He  done  it,  'most  alone  too!" 
Ethan's  excitement  over  the  chastisement 
the  Corners  had  inflicted  upon  the  proud 
foe  from  Hoseaville  was  keen ;  but  in  a  mo- 
ment his  tone  changed  as  he  inquired, "  What 
ye  deown  here  for  now,  anyway,  Jock?" 

"  I  came  down  to  see  about  the  house- 
boat Bob  wrote  me  of." 

"  Ye  don't  say  so  !  Well,  the'  is  one  up 
to  the  Bay." 

"  So  Bob  wrote.  I'm  going  there  to-mor- 
row to  see  about  it,  and  if  I  get  it,  we'll 
surely  want  you  to  go  with  us  this  summer, 
Etiian." 

"  I'm  yer  man," 

"  I'll  go  over  to  the  school  now,"  said 
Jock,  as  he  rose  from  the  table,  and  a  few 
minutes  afterward  he  was  standing  before 
the  door  of  the  schoolhouse,  waiting  for  his 
knock  to  be  answered. 


Hi  (i 


.-.li-.:,itaii,-.^ii-.;'J,*lL' 


CHAPTER   VI. 


THE    SCHOOL. 


Toe  door  of  the  schoolliouse  was  slightly 
ajar,  and  Jock  could  hear  the  voice  of  the 
teacher  above  the  low  hum  of  the  scholars 
within.  It  seemed  so  strange  to  think  of 
Bob  Darnell  as  presiding  over  the  room 
that  for  a  moment  Jock  smiled  as  he 
thought  of  what  Bert  and  Ben  would  say  if 
they  were  where  he  was. 

His  meditations  were  interrupted  by  a 
tow-headed  urchin,  who  opened  the  door 
and  gazed  blankly  at  the  visitor  for  a 
moment  without  speaking. 

"  I  want  to  see  Mr.  Darnell,"  said  Jock, 
kindly.     "  He  is  here,  isn't  he  ?  " 

The  lad  made  no  reply,  but,  leaving  the 
door  open,  turned  quickly  about,  and,  calling 
across  the  room,  said,  ^^  Teacher,  there's  a 
boy  here  as  wants  to  see  you." 

"  A  boy."  Jock  felt  his  cheeks  flush  at 
the  word.     That  was  a  fine  salutation  for 

69 


.  iCMidtJ.k^-^<,k-£j,:u.l-: 


■;>■•■  ±.i.--tla.:  '-^..h'-v.'a^! 


ivt»ilip|JHii'.?i."5fP 


I        it 


70      UOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

one  who  had  successfully  passed  into  the 
sophomore  class  in  college,  and  his  feeling 
of  confusion  was  in  no  wise  relieved  when 
Bob  himself  approached  the  door  and  with 
twinkling  eyes  bade  Jcck  enter. 

Jock  followed  his  friend  across  the  room 
and,  taking  the  proffered  chair,  seated  him- 
self on  the  platform  in  response  to  Bob's 
invitation.  He  could  feel  as  well  as  see 
that  he  was  the  centre  of  interest  of  all  the 
pupils.  The  recollection  of  the  term  the 
lad  had  applied  to  him  had  not  yet  passed, 
and,  despite  his  effort  to  appear  at  ease,  he 
was  strangely  conscious  of  himself. 

As  he  glanced  curiously  about  the  school- 
room, for  Bob  had  now  resumed  his  labors 
with  a  class  in  arithmetic,  he  soon  found 
himself  deeply  interested  in  the  sight  before 
him.  Curious  glances  were  still  cast  at 
him,  but  for  the  most  part  the  scholars  had 
resumed  their  labors. 

It  was  a  strange  collection  of  faces  and 
forms  before  him.  Most  of  the  scholars 
were  under  fourteen  years  of  age.  Some 
of  them  were  bareiv^oted,  and  others  were 
clad  in  garments  which  evidently  had 
descended  from  ancestors  more  or  less 
remote.     There  was,  however,  a  keenness 


'ill!;     ! 


ii  f  ill 


THE  SCHOOL, 


71 


rs  had 

s  and 
lolars 
Some 
were 
had 
less 
nness 


displayed  by  many  of  those  who  were 
present  that  betokened  the  possession  of 
minds  of  no  little  acuteness.  As  Bob  had 
said,  there  were  also  some  who  were  larger 
and  older  than  he,  but  almost  without  an 
exception  they  were  working  hard  over 
their  tasks,  and,  if  appearances  were  to  be 
trusted,  their  mental  acumen  was  much 
less  than  that  of  some  of  the  mischievous 
urchins  and  smiling  girls. 

The  latter  were  evidently  greatly  pleased 
about  something,  and  frequently  looked  up 
from  behind  their  large  geography  books  at 
one  another,  and  then  dropped  their  eyes 
with  a  half-suppressed  giggle.  Somehow 
Jock  had  the  feeling  that  he  was  the  source 
of  their  amusement,  and,  though  he  was 
unable  to  understand  it,  the  knowledge  did 
not  increase  his  feeling  of  ease. 

The  arithmetic  clnss  had  now  completed 
its  labors,  and  as  they  returned  to  their 
seats  Bob  turned  to  Jock  in  tlie  brief  inter- 
mission. '^  It's  great  work  here,  Jock,"  he 
said ;  "  I've  learned  more  than  I  did  in 
freshman  year  in  college." 

"  Some  of  these  boys  look  as  if  they 
could  teach  some  things  not  written  up  in 
the  books,"  suggested  Jock. 


■.il''j\Vi.''-£i'/i''lK:-''-'^i^mX^:i.>i''.'"  .  i.-J  .^i.-- 


111!! 


I 


\    i! 

It 

',:  'i 

It  .1 


72      HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LA  WHENCE. 

"  So  they  can.  I  think  tlie  country  boys 
are  much  more  self-reliant  than  boys  in  the 
city  are.  I  don't  know  that  they  are  as 
quick-witted  or  keen,  but  they're  not  slow. 
For  example,  there's  that  little  fellow  over 
on  the  left  —  the  one  with  the  black  eyes. 
He  is  trying  to  pass  a  note  and  is  watching 
me  now.  Bring  me  that  note,  John,"  said 
Bob,  in  a  tone  slightly  louder,  addressing  the 
lad  of  whom  he  had  just  been  speaking. 

For  a  moment  the  boy  hesitated,  and  then 
his  black  eyes  snapped  as  he  boldly  ad- 
vanced and  handed  the  forbidden  missive 
to  the  teacher.  As  Bob  received  it  he 
smiled,  and  a  moment  afterward  said  in  a 
low  voice  to  Jock,  "  The  rascal's  been 
drawing  a  picture  of  you.  Do  you  want  to 
see  how  you  appear  to  others  ?  " 

"  Yes,  let  me  see  it." 

Jock  quietly  took  the  paper  and  saw  on 
it  a  drawing  which  was  supposed  to  repre- 
sent himself,  and  underneath  it  were  the 
words,  "  The  teacher's  dude." 

As  he  glanced  up  he  saw  that  the  black 
eyes  of  the  artist  were  fixed  intently  upon 
him,  but  he  instantly  dropped  his  face 
behind  the  large  geography  which  he  was 
holding  upright  on  his  desk  before  him. 


THE  SCHOOL. 


73 


"Who's  that  big  fellow  in  the  back 
seat  ?  "  inquired  Jock. 

"  That's  Ethan's  nephew.  He's  as  faith- 
ful as  Crusoe's  man  Friday,  but  he's  very 
slow-witted.  I  have  to  protect  him  from 
that  little  imp  who  just  made  that  drawing 
of  you.  I  don't  know  whether  Johnnie 
will  become  a  saint  or  a  sinner,  but  he'll 
be  one  or  the  other.  There'll  be  no  half- 
way with  him." 

It  was  now  time  for  the  reading  class  — 
^'  the  Fourth  Reader"  — to  be  called,  and  in 
response  to  a  tap  on  the  bell  the  class,  con- 
sisting of  some  twelve  or  more,  advanced 
to  the  benches  in  the  front  of  the  room. 
In  this  class  were  some  of  the  elder  and 
some  of  the  younger  pupils,  and  the  black- 
eyed  lad  and  the  huge  nephew  of  Ethan 
were  seated  side  by  side,  presenting  a  con- 
trast that  was  almost  ludicrous. 

"They're  almost  like  Bert  and  Ben  — 
*  the  long  and  the  short  of  it,'  "  suggested 
Jock,  in  a  whisper. 

Bob  smiled,  but  made  no  other  reply  as 
he  took  his  book  and  rose  in  front  of  the 
class.  **  Before  we  begin,"  he  said,  address- 
ing the  scholars  before  him,  "  it  will  be  well 
for  us  to  understand  a  little  of  what  this 


./■«:A.fi^*^»*Ma:.^.'¥..  . 


i 


74      HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 


'  ! 


V 


I  1 


rli 


lesson  is.  John,  will  you  give  us  the  out- 
line ?  " 

"  It's  about  an  old  vulture  talking  to  her 
children,"  said  John,  glibly.  "  She  tells 
'em  they're  old  enough  to  shift  for  them- 
selves, and  she  doesn't  intend  to  scratch 
around  for  them  any  more." 

A  titter  ran  through  the  class  when  John 
abruptly  resumed  his  seat ;  but  Bob  by 
a  word  promptly  suppressed  it,  and  said: 
"  John  has  given  us  the  substance,  though 
perhaps  he  might  have  been  a  little  more 
choice  in  his  language.  However,  if  he 
has  done  the  best  he  knows  how,  we'll  pro- 
ceed with  the  lesson.  Samuel,"  he  said, 
addressing  the  huge  fellow  who  was  Ethan's 
nephew,  "  you  may  read  the  first  paragraph. 
Bear  in  mind,  please,  that  John  has  just 
said  that  the  lesson  represents  a  mother 
vulture  as  talking  to  her  young  ones,  and 
telling  them  what  they  now  can  do  and 
wiiat  she  rightly  expects  of  them." 

Samuel  drew  his  gront  frame  slowly  up- 
ward, but  the  trembling  of  the  hand  in 
which  he  was  holding  his  book  betrayed 
his  excitement  and  alarm.  However,  he 
began  to  read  in  a  loud  and  monotonous 
tone  of  voice,  halting  after  every  word  and 


I  iM.'-ii»tf>-i-*tli  it  ■  lilVf^i*  '{ifai.m^miam 


THE  SCHOOL. 


76 


evidently  "fearful,"  as  Jock  afterward  de- 
scribed the  scene,  "  that  every  word  would 
be  his  next." 

"  You  —  you  —  know  —  how  —  how  —  to 
sight  the  —  the  —  rabbit  in  the  bush.     You 

—  you  —  know  how  to  —  to  —  catch  —  the 
— the  barnyard  fowl.  You —  you  —  you  — 
know  —  know  —  how — to  —  to  —  fix  your 

—  your  —  tail  on  — " 

"What!"  interrupted  Bob,  sharply. 

"  That's  what  the  book  says,"  protested 
Samuel,  sturdily. 

A  suppressed  laugh  broke  from  the  class, 
and  Jock,  who  was  following  the  lesson  with 
a  book  in  his  hand,  was  doing  his  utmost 
to  stifle  the  delight  he  felt  over  the  render- 
ing the  pupil  had  made. 

Bob,  however,  was  very  sober,  and  with- 
out a  smile  on  his  countenance  he  turned  to 
Samuel,  who  evidently  was  aware  that  some- 
thing wa8  wrong,  though  he  did  not  just 
know  what  it  was,  and  said,  "  Samuel,  I 
wish  you  would  spell  and  pronounce  the 
syllables  of  that  last  word  you  read." 

Thus  bidden,  the  huge  Samuel  took  his 
forefinger  and,  placing  it  on  the  page  be- 
neath the  disputed  word,  said  slowly,  "  t-a-1 
tail,  o-n  on  —  tail  on." 


ISi 


i         i^' 


76    nousE-noAT  on  the  st.  la  whence. 

The  delight  of  the  class  could  no  longer 
be  suppressed,  even  Jock  giving  way  and 
laughing  with  the  others,  tliough  he  was 
heartily  ashamed  of  himself  for  his  lack  of 
self-control. 

"John,  will  you  spell  and  pronounce 
that  word  for  Samuel?"  said  Bob,  soberly, 
he  being  the  only  one  to  retain  liis  dignity. 

John  rose  quickly  and  with  a  glibness 
born  of  overpowering  confidence  in  himself 
said,  "t-a-1  tal,  o-n-s  ons,  talons.  The 
old  vulture  is  telling  her  yoimg  ones  that 
now  they  know  not  only  how  to  sight 
the  barnyard  fowl,  but  also  how  to  fix  their 
talons." 

"That's  correct.  Do  you  see  it  now, 
Samuel?" 

"I  don'  know  but  I  do,"  responded  Sam- 
uel, gloomily. 

"  They  didn't  have  to  fix  their  tails  on ; 
they  grew  fast,"  suggested  John.  "  'Twas 
their  talons  they  had  to  fix,  not  their  tails." 

"  That  will  do,  John !  "  said  Bob,  some- 
what sternly.  "  Now,  Samuel,  try  it  once 
more." 

So  Samuel  tried  again  in  tones  which 
might  have  been  heard  in  Ethan's  home 
had  that  worthy  boatman  stopped  to  listen, 


i^jAnimmkim/MiliimitiJbami'imimi^ 


.  ■;i;.; -::.  :=^-. .. ^-;.  -.- : ..  -^ . . ..  ■^^^  ;  .  .^.-i .A... .. ■,.:^-. i^L^ ., :  --■;.^.: ■  ■  £i,  ;^'.^va.  ^.:  -  ■  L-  .^  . 


TFfE  SCnOOL. 


77 


and  this  time  he  came  safely  through  to 
the  end.  All  the  different  members  of  the 
"  Fourth  Reader  class "  were  called  upon, 
and  though  some  read  after  the  halting, 
disconnected  manner  employed  by  Samuel, 
others  read  exceedingly  well,  and  then  at 
the  close  the  teacher  had  them  read  the 
entire  lesson  in  unison  for  the  encourage- 
ment of  the  more  backward  pupils. 

When  the  class  resumed  their  seats.  Bob 
said  to  Jock  :  '^  This  school  is  the  strangest 
mix-up  you  ever  saw.  In  the  winter  they 
have  two  departments,  but  when  the  spring 
work  on  the  farms  begins,  the  school  is 
smaller  and  they  put  them  all  together 
in  this  one  room.  As  a  consequence  my 
classes  are  very  uneven,  and  I  have  in  every 
class  some  of  the  brightest  pupils  and  some 
of  the  dullest  you  ever  heard  of.  I  feel 
sorry  for  the  dull  ones,  and  try  to  help  them 
especially.  Do  you  see  that  big  girl  in 
that  seat  over  by  the  window?  the  girl 
with  the  long  braid  down  her  back  ?  Well, 
I've  been  here  almost  three  months,  and  I 
don't  believe  I've  succeeded  yet  in  getting 
one  single  idea  into  her  head.  And  yet 
she  studies,  or  thinks  she  does,  and  tries 
harder  than  any  other  scholar  in  the  room. 


•v  •<** 


''^. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


// 


W 


W/ 


W^^' 


^      M       ^      ////I 


^ 


^/ 


#/^' 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


111 


Urn 


2.2 


1.4 


1.8 


m 


*«- 


Photogrephic 

Sdeiices 
Corporation 


#> 


^ 


\ 


^<C\  *^\  "^^ 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER  N.Y.  14580 

(7;6)  872-4503 


^ 


^Lf      M       ^      ////I 


li'T 


78      HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

I  tell  you  about  her,  for  I  want  to  prepare 
you  for  what  is  likely  to  happen  in  the 
next  class." 

The  next  class  proved  to  be  the  big  geog- 
raphy class,  and  some  twenty  or  more  of 
the  pupils  came  forward  to  the  benches  in 
response  to  the  call  of  the  teacher.  Once 
more  John  and  Samuel  were  seated  side  by 
side,  and  there  also  was  the  large  girl, 
Clara  Loaker,  of  whom  Bob  had  just  been 
speaking  to  Jock. 

The  lesson  proved  to  be  upon  Kentucky, 
and  Bob  had  made  very  careful  preparation 
for  his  class.  He  told  them  stories  of 
Boone  and  the  hardihood  of  the  early  set- 
tlers. He  briefly  sketched  the  history  of 
the  state,  and  related  incidents  of  its  pub- 
lic and  prominent  men.  Then  he  showed 
them  pictures  of  the  famous  Mammoth 
Cave,  and  read  descriptions  which  many 
visitors  to  the  underground  wonder  had 
given  of  the  sights  they  had  seen  and  expe- 
riences they  had  had.  The  class  was  deeply 
interested,  and  even  Jock  himself  was  no 
less  interested  than  were  the  scholars.  In 
some  of  Bob's  graphic  words  he  was  re- 
minded of  the  descriptions  his  room-mate 
had  given  in  the  preceding  summer  of  the 


■.?  i 


THE  SCHOOL. 


79 


voyages  of  Cartier  np  the  St.  Lawrence, 
and  so  he  was  iii  no  wise  surprised  at  the 
interesting  narrative  he  made  of  the  won- 
ders of  the  Mammoth  Cave.  Bob  now  told 
the  class  to  close  their  books,  and  then  called 
upon  ''  Miss  Clara  "  to  rise  and  recite. 

"Now,  Miss  Clara,"  he  said  encourag- 
ingly, "I've  been  reading  to  you  some 
of  the  stories  of  the  famous  state  we  have 
for  our  lesson  to-day.  And  what  is  that 
state?" 

His  pupil  gazed  blankly  at  hini^  and 
made  no  response.  Instantly  a  dozen  or 
more  hands  were  waved  in  the  air  in  token 
of  the  kno\v  ledge  their  owners  possessed, 
and  were  willing  to  give  for  the  benefit  of 
their  benighted  classmate.  John's  arm  was 
the  most  vigorous  of  all,  and  in  his  zeal 
the  lad  partly  rose  from  his  seat  and  bent 
forward,  as  if  such  knowledge  was  too 
wonderful  for  him  to  hold  longer. 

"  Well,  John,  what  is  it  ?  "  inquired  Bob. 

"Kentucky,"  shouteu  John,  in  his  shrill- 
est tones,  and  then  immediately  subsided  into 
his  seat  with  the  consciousness  of  duty  well 
performed  manifest  in  his  every  feature. 

"That's  right.  It's  Kentucky.  You 
recollect  now,  Miss  Clara?" 


I  f^ 


I 


80      HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  responded  the  girl ;  "  it's 
Kentucky." 

^'And  do  you  recall  the  name  of  that 
place  under  the  ground  there  ?  The  one 
I've  just  been  showing  you  pictures  of  and 
telling  you  about  ?  " 

"  You  mean  7ight  under  the  ground  ? 
straight  down  ?  "  inquired  Clara. 

"  Yes,  right  under  the  ground,"  replied 
Bob. 

"Why,  of  course  I  know  v/hat  that 
is.  The  place  right  straight  down  under 
the  ground  —  is  —  ah  —  is  —  ah  —  It's 
China!''  she  added,  in  a  burse  of  inspira- 
tion and  confidence. 

A  titter  ran  through  the  class,  and  Jock 
looked  quickly  out  of  the  window  to  avoid 
the  possibility  of  displaying  the  emotion  he 
felt  at  the  moment.  Pour  Clara  was  over- 
whelmed with  chagrin,  and  not  even  "the 
teacher's  "  kind  words  afforded  much  relief. 
As  she  resumed  her  seat  her  handkerchief 
was  drawn  from  her  pocket,  and  throughout 
the  remainder  of  the  recitation  her  face  was 
buried  from  the  sight  of  her  more  enlight- 
ened but  somewhat  merciless  classmates. 

John,  however,  was  in  high  spirits,  and 
whenever  there  w^as  a  break  in  the  recita- 


\ 


1  -    I 


w 


THE  SCHOOL. 


81 


tion  he  was  as  ready  as  he  was  eager  to 
express  the  information  he  possessed.  The 
most  of  the  chiss  were  also  well  prepared, 
and  when  the  recitation  ended  Jock  was 
honestly  surprised  and  pleased  at  the  work 
which  evidently  was  being  done  in  the 
unpretentious  schoolhouse. 

Bob,  too,  was  a  surprise  to  him,  for  al- 
though he  thought  he  knew  his  room-mate 
well,  the  interest  he  had  created  and  the 
response  he  had  aroused  from  the  school 
were  far  beyond  anything  even  the  enthusi- 
astic Jock  had  believed  possible  to  expect 
from  this  wonderful  friend. 

To  Jock,  the  entire  afternoon  was  a 
source  of  delight.  It  was  his  first  experi- 
ence in  a  country  school,  and  the  novelty 
of  itself  was  sufficient  to  absorb  his  atten- 
tion. He  marvelled  at  the  brightness  of 
some  of  the  pupils,  and  wondered  at  the 
infinite  patience  of  Bob  with  the  duller 
ones.  But  then  Bob  could  do  almost  any- 
thing he  tried  to,  he  thought,  and  his  affec- 
tion for  and  pride  in  his  friend  v/ere  never 
greater  than  on  that  day.  ^Yhen  the  ses- 
sion at  last  was  ended,  and  the  two  boys 
started  toward  Ethan's  home,  Jock  was 
enthusiastic  in  his  praises. 


i  Mi 


I' 


illli! 


82      HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

"  Now  about  that  house-boat,  Jock,"  said 
Bob,  as  they  turned  in  at  the  gate  of  the 
boatman's  place. 

*'  Well,  what  about  it  ?  "  responded  Jock. 

*'  When  are  you  going  to  see  it  ?  " 

*'  To-morrow,  if  Ethan  will  take  me  to 
the  Bay." 

"He'll  take  you.  You  need  have  no 
fears  as  to  that.  He's  not  over  busy  and 
is  always  glad  of  a  pretext  to  go  out  on 
the  river." 

"  Then  I'll  go  up  in  the  morning  and 
come  back  in  the  afternoon,  but  I  think 
I'll  go  back  home  to-morrow  night.  You 
say  your  school  closes  next  week?" 

"  Yes." 

"All  right,  then.  I'll  not  wait  for  my 
mother  to  come  and  meet  me  here,  but  I'll 
go  back  and  perhaps  she'll  be  ready  to 
come  with  us.  I  thought  at  first  I'd  stay 
right  here,  and  wait  for  her,  but  I'm  afraid 
I'd  bother  you ;  and  besides  I  may  want  to 
get  some  things  for  use  in  the  house-boat." 

"  You  speak  as  if  you  feel  certain  you'd 
like  it." 

"  I've  no  doubt  I  snail.  To-morrow  will 
tell  the  story,  anyway,"  he  added,  as  they 
entered  the  house. 


ilfSi     1 1 


CHAPTER  VII. 


PREPARATIONS. 

The  delight  of  Ethan  and  his  worthy 
companion  hi  life  was  great  over  the  pres- 
ence of  the  two  boys  in  their  home.     In 
spite   of   the    boatman's  apparent   disdain 
for  "  city  folks  "  and  their  ways,  he  never- 
theless  felt    a    pride    in   his    visitors,   for 
although   Bob  had    made   his   home   with 
them  since  his  appointment  as  teacher  in 
the  Corners,  and  regularly  every  week  paid 
his  three  dollars  as   equivalent   for  value 
received,  he  too  was  looked  upon  chiefly  in 
the  light  of  a  visitor. 

After  supper  — and  Jock  declared  that 
such  a  supper  he  never  before  had  eaten  — 
all  three  went  out  on  the  low  piazza,  and 
Ethan,  having  removed  his  shoes  and  sit- 
ting back  in  his  chair  with  his  feet  clad  in 
"yarn"  socks  which  the  faithful  mistress 
of  the  home  had  knit  with  her  own  needles, 
lighted  his  pipe  and  gazed  contentedly  about 

83 


84      HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


11 


li^^ 


^        I' 


him.  The  silent  Wtateis  of  the  rushing  St. 
Lawrence  could  be  seen  in  the  distance, 
occasionally  reflecting  the  dim  light  like  a 
faint  streak  of  silver.  The  tree-toads  and 
frogs  were  joining  in  their  nightly  chorus 
and  thereby  intensifying  the  very  silence 
of  the  evening.  All  things  miited  in  pro- 
claiming the  peacefulness  of  the  little  ham- 
let, and  to  Jock  it  did  not  seem  possible  that 
far  away  in  the  great  city  there  were  noisy 
crowds  and  shouting  newsboys  and  vast 
processions  of  people  forever  moving  on 
and  yet  never  apparently  arriving  at  any 
destination.  Here  at  least  the  friction  and 
strife  of  life  were  not  to  be  found,  and  even 
the  occasional  vehicle  which  passed,  Ethan 
never  failing  to  shout  forth  a  salutation  for 
every  passer-by,  moved  quietly  on  as  if  time 
was  no  object  and  haste  was  unknown. 

To  Jock  in  particular  the  calm  summer 
evening  was  delightful.  He  had  worked 
hard  through  the  college  year,  and  had 
fairly  earned  a  resting  time.  Then  there 
was  Bob  by  his  side,  and  as  he  glanced  at 
his  friend  the  deep  strong  love  he  felt  was 
manifest  in  the  very  expression  of  his  face. 
Ethan  was  as  quaint  and  original  as  ever, 
and  as  he  appeared  to  be  in  a  mood  for 


li 


PliEPAIiATIONS. 


85 


conversation  Jock  well  knew  that  he  would 
hear  many  expressions  which  he  would 
enjoy  and  remember. 

To  add  to  his  pleasure,  Mistress  Ethan, 
having  "done  up  the  supper  dishes,"  soon 
joined  them  upon  the  piazza,  seating  herself 
in  a  low  rocking-chair  and  busily  knitting 
a  sock  for  her  husband  ;  for,  like  most  of  the 
worthy  matrons  of  the  region,  she  could  knit 
as  well  in  the  dusk  as  in  the  daylight,  and 
Ethan  even  declared  she  could  go  on  with 
her  occupation  when  she  was  asleep,  and  it 
would  make  no  difference  in  the  growth  of 
her  work. 

"I'm  thinkinV'  remarked  Ethan,  "that 
ye' 11  have  to  have  two  men  to  run  that  'ere 
house-boat,  that  is  if  ye  decide  to  hire  it." 

"  Of  course,"  replied  Jock.  "  I  only  wish 
that  Tom  could  be  the  second  man,  but  I 
understand  he  is  to  have  only  two  weeks' 
vacation.  But  we'll  have  him  with  us  when 
he  comes  home." 

"  Yes,"  said  Ethan,  slowly,  "  Tom  is  to 
have  two  weeks  off,  but  yer  pa  says  his  pay 
is  to  go  right  on  jest  the  same." 

"  Yes,"  said  Jock,  simply. 

"  That's  good  o'  him,  but  then  I  knew 
yer  pa  when  he  was  only  a  boy  younger'n 


i  i 


i 


'    ,1 


86      IIOUSE-liOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

you  be,  an'  he  was  always  straight  as  a 
string,  though  I  never  thought  he'd  'mount 
to  very  much.  He  was  a  powerful  good 
speller,  though,  and  many's  the  time  I've 
seen  him  spell  the  whole  school  down  and 
he  such  a  little  chap  he  didn't  look  bigger'n 
a  minit.  Mebbe  Tom'U  be  quite  a  success- 
ful fellow  yet.  He's  got  a  good  start,  for 
twelve  shillin'  a  day  don't  grow  on  every 
bush.  He  ought  to  save  a  good  lump  out 
o'  that,  an'  he  would  too,  only  they  charge 
sech  a  ridic'lous  price  for  his  board.  How 
much  is  it  he  pays,  ma?"  he  inquired  of 
his  wife. 

"  Six  dollars  a  week,  pa,"  she  replied. 

"  Perfectly  scand'lous  !  "  growled  Ethan. 
"  Then  he  lias  to  pay  car-fare  and  wasliin* 
and  et  cetery,  and  o'  course  it  doesn't  leave 
sech  a  'tarnal  sight  behind.  Still,  if  Tom's 
keerful,  he'll  lay  up  somethin'." 

"  Ethan,  have  you  thought  of  any  one  to 
go  with  you  on  the  house-boat  ? "  inquired 
Jock. 

*'  Yes,  I  have,"  replied  Ethan,  deliberately. 
"  I've  thought  a  heap  about  it,  an'  takin'  all 
in  all,  I've  'bout  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
Jed  Bates  is  the  best  man,  though  that  may 
not  be  sayin'  very  much,  for  good  men  is 


m 


PltEPAliATIONS. 


87 


IS 


'most  as  skurso  as  lien's  teeth.  By  the 
way,  Jock  Cope,  hev  ye  found  out  yet  jist 
heow  many  front  teeth  a  ceovv  has  on  her 
upper  jaw?  I  thought  likely  them  pro- 
fessors o'  yours  would  inform  ye  as  to  that 
particular  thing." 

*'  Yes,  I've  found  out,"  laughed  Jock. 
^' Well,  how  many  he  the'  ?  " 
"  It  won't  take  long  to  count  them." 
"  So  it  won't.      So  it  won't.     Can   you 
milk  a  cow,  Jock  ?  " 

"I  don't  know  ;  I  never  tried." 
"  Now,  pa,"  remonstrated  Mistress  Ethan. 
"He's    going   to  tell  his  joke  on  me," 
said  Boh,  with  a  laugh. 

"What's  the  joke?  Tell  us,  Ethan," 
said  Jock,  eagerly. 

"  'Twan't  much  of  a  joke  ;  but  one  night 
when  I  was  rather  late  gettin'  back  from 
the  river  and  ma  here  was  gettin'  anxious 
like  as  to  how  the  ceow  was  a  goin'  to  be 
milked,  why  Bob,  to  do  the  perlite  thing, 
he  up  an'  says,  says  he,  'I'll  milk  her  my- 
self.' Ma  wasn't  very  cordial  like  in  her 
response,  for  I  suspect  she  was  a  bit  sus- 
picious that  *  he'd  bit  off  more  a  he  could 
chew,'  so  to  speak,  but  he  was  so  insistin' 
that  she  finally  giv'  in,  an'  lo  an'  behold 


,r 


88      HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LA  WHENCE. 

ye,  Bob  takes  the  milk-pail  an'  the  niilkin' 
StOol  an'  goes  forth  to  do  or  die.  Old 
Brindle  jest  kui  1  o'  looked  at  him  when  he 
come  out  there.  She  wati  a  bit  lonesome 
prob'ly,  for  I'd  jest  took  her  calf  away  a 
few  days  afore.  But  she  didn't  offer  no  pro- 
test, an'  Bob  started  in.  I'd  jest  come  up  then 
an'  was  standin'  out  by  the  fence  watchin' 
the  performance.  When  I  see  him  set  down 
on  the  left  o'  the  old  ceow,  I  'most  called  out 
to  him,  for  I  suspected  likely  there'd  be 
trouble,  an'  sure  enough  the'  was.  He'd 
jest  started  in  an'  was  gettin'  on  famously, 
so  he  called  out  to  ma,  ^  See  me  milk  !  this 
is  where  the  benefit  o'  college  trainin'  comes 
in,  for  the  man  with  a  disciplined  mind  can 
do  'most  anything.'  Jest  then  old  Brindle 
lifted  her  foot,  and  Bob  and  the  milk-pail 
was  on  the  ground  all  mixed  up,  only  the 
pail  a7i  the  milk  was  on  top.  I  was 
a  watchin'  the  performance  all  the  time,  an' 
I  thought  it  'bout  time  for  my  part  to 
come  in ;  but  jest  then  I  see  Bob  jump  up, 
and,  though  he  was  covered  with  milk,  he 
wanted  to  go  right  on,  an'  so  I  thought 
I'd  wait  a  spell  longer  before  I  volun- 
teered my  services.  This  time  he  got  on  the 
right  side  o'  the  ceow,  and  for  a  while  I  didn't 


f 


PREPAliATlONS. 


89 


see  anything  go  wrong.  I  s'pect,  though, 
that  old  Brindle  got  diacoiiraged  after  a 
while,  for  when  Bob  had  be<iii  a  mi  Ik  in'  an' 
a  mil  kin'  an'  no  end  was  in  sight,  the  old 
ceow  at  last  kind  o'  lieaved  a  sigh  or  two  as 
if  she'd  made  up  her  mind  as  heow  this  was 
a  weary  world  o'  woe  an'  'twan't  any  kind 
o'  use  to  continue  her  sufferin'  patience  any 
longer,  an'  the  very  first  thing  ye  know  she 
giv'  a  groan  or  two  and  jest  give  up  an' 
laid  down  then  an'  there." 

"  Was  Bob  underneath  ?  "  inquired  Jock, 
laughing  heartily  at  Ethan's  words. 

"  No.  He  managed  to  stand  from  under 
this  time  an'  saved  his  pail  o'  milk  besides. 
When  I  came  up  old  Brindle  seemed  all 
right  enough,  but  I've  a  suspicion  she  was 
disappointed  in  Bob." 

"That's  Ethan's  story,"  said  Bob.  "It 
grows  every  time  he  tells  it  now,  somewhat 
after  the  fashion  of  those  fish  stories  of  his 
he  told  us  last  summer,  I  fancy.  But  then, 
if  he  enjoys  it,  I've  no  objection.'* 

"  I  think  it's  too  bad  for  pa  to  tell  that 
story,"  interrupted  Ethan's  wife.  "  Bob  was 
doing  as  well  as  he  knew  how.  I'm  sure 
there's  some  things  he  can  do  better  than 
you,  Ethan.'* 


li 


3i 


90      HOUSE-BOAT  ON    THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


"  'Tisn't  to  be  supposed  a  ])oy  no  older'n 
he  should  know  everything,"  replied  Ethan, 
complacently.  '•''  He's  got  lots  o'  time  be- 
fore him." 

"  I  suppose  thrvt  mast  be  so,  Ethan,"  said 
Bob,  soberly.  "  It  isn't  f?ir  to  expect  as 
much  of  a  boy  of  eighteen  as  it  is  of  a  man 
of  seventy." 

"What's  that?  What's  that  ye're  say- 
in'  ? "  demanded  Ethan,  sharply,  bringing 
his  chair  abruptly  down  upon  the  floor  of 
the  piazza  and  holding  his  pipe  in  his  hand 
as  he  glanced  sharply  at  Bob. 

"Oh,  nothing,"  said  Bob,  calmly,  "only 
I  think  your  wife  is  correct  when  she  said 
I  did  my  best,  and  a  man  :"3venty  years  old 
ought  to  have  learned  more  than  a  boy 
omy  eighteen  years  old." 

"  Who  said  I  was  seventy  year  old  ? " 
demanded  Ethan,  sternly. 

"  f'm  sure  I  didn't,"  said  Bob,  soberly. 

"  But  ye  implied  it.  Bob.  Ye  did  in  yer 
manner,  anyhow.  Neow  I  ain't  anywhere 
near  seventy  year  old.  Not  anywhere  near, 
and  everybody  what  sees  iiie  always  says, 
*  Why,  Etban,  heow  young  ye  be  1  Ye  don't 
grow  old  a  mite.'  Don't  the',  ma?"  he 
added,  appealing  for  confirmation  to  his 
wife. 


PREPARA  TIONS. 


91 


But  Mistress  Ethan  was  knitting  busily, 
perhaps  too  busily  to  hear  or  heed  her  hus- 
band's words. 

"  Whew  !  It's  a  warm  night/'  suggested 
Jock,  who  had  been  highly  amused  at  the 
manner  in  which  Bob  had  found  the  weak 
spot  in  Ethan's  armor  and  had  mercilessly 
thrust  it  through.  Jock  could  see,  too, 
tiiat  Bob  vas  keenly  sensitive  to  the  ridicu- 
lous aspect  in  which  Ethan's  story  had 
made  him  appear,  and  perhaps  the  knowl- 
edi^e  that  now  he  held  something^  over  the 
head  of  his  room-mate  may  not  have  de- 
creased his  own  sense  of  satisfaction. 

"  Yes,  'tis  a  warm  night,"  asser.ted  Ethan. 
"  It's  gettin'  late,  too.  'Most  bedtime, 
boys." 

^'  W!iy,  what  time  is  it  ? "  inquired  Jock, 
m  surprise. 

"  'Most  half-past  eight." 

Jock  felt  the  touch  of  Bob's  hand  on  his 
arm  and  checked  the  lauerh  that  rose  to  his 
lips.  A  few  minutes  afterward  Ethan  and 
his  worthy  helpmeet  retired,  and  for  three 
hours  the  two  bovs  remained  on  the  low 
piazza  talking  over  their  plans  and  projects. 
It  was  sheer  delight  for  Jock  to  be  with  his 
friend  once  more,  and  as  he  related  the  story 


is 


I 


-.1 


92      HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

of  the  college  games,  and  told  of  the  experi- 
ences in  the  spring  term,  he  found  an  inspir- 
ing listener  in  the  ''teacher"  of  the  Corners. 
Bob,  too,  had  his  own  stories  to  tell,  and 
the  novel  scenes  in  his  schoolroom  and  the 
quaint  views  of  life  which  the  people  of 
the  little  hamlet  held  were  all  interesting  to 
the  city-bred  lad  by  his  side. 

At  last  they  sought  the  room  above  and 
prepared  to  retire  for  the  night.  The  air 
was  sultry,  and  Bob  declared  that  he  had 
not  experienced  such  heat  in  all  his  career 
in  the  Corners.  When  the  boys  crawled 
into  the  bed  Jock  uttered  an  exclamation 
of  dismay  when  he  discovered  that  he  was 
to  sleep  upon  feathers  which  almost  buried 
him  from  sight  and  started  the  perspiration 
from  every  pore  in  his  body. 

"  I  say,  Bob,"  he  exclaimed  at  last,  "  I 
can't  stand  this." 

"You'll  have  to,"  murmured  Bob,  who 
was  almost  asleep. 

"Why  will  I  have  to?" 

"Because  this  is  Mrs.  Ethan's  special 
pet.  This  bed  has  'live'  geese  feathers 
in  it,  which  she  saw  her  own  mother  pluck 
from  the  birds.  To  her  it  is  an  honor  to 
be  duly  appreciated  to  be  permitted  to  sleep 


PREPARATIONS. 


93 


1 


on  this  bed.  I've  somatimes  thought  I'd 
ask  her  if  she'd  mind  if  I  went  down  and 
crawled  into  the  oven  or  slept  on  top  of  the 
kitchen  stove  just  to  cool  off,  but  I've  never 
dared  to.  I  think  she'd  be  mortally  of- 
fended, and  she's  been  too  good  to  me  for 
me  to  think  of  hurting  her  feelings.  You 
can't  understand  what  ^  live  geese  feathers  * 
are  to  the  proud  matrons  of  the  Corners." 

"  Well,  I  can  understand  what  they  are 
to  me,"  said  Jock,  as  he  climbed  out  of  the 
bed,  and,  spreading  a  quilt  upon  the  floor, 
prepared  to  pass  the  night  there. 

Somehow  the  dawn  at  last  came,  though 
to  Jock  the  darkness  seemed  to  be  well-nigh 
endless ;  and  after  breakfast  Bob  departed 
for  his  school,  and  Jock  and  Ethan  sailed 
away  for  Alexandria  Bay,  to  inspect  the 
house-boat. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  they 
returned  to  the  Corners,  and  Bob,  who  was 
waiting  for  them  at  the  dock,  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  perceiving  that  his  friend  was 
enthusiastic  over  the  results  of  his  inves- 
tigations. 

"  How  is  it,  Jock  ? "  he  inquired,  as  that 
young  gentleman  leaped  ashore. 

"  Great ! " 


'1' 


"I 
it  ■ 


fg 


94      HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LA  WHENCE. 

"  Then  you  were  not  disappointed  ?  " 
"  Disappointed  ?    Well,  I  should  say  not ! 
It's  simply  perfect,  and  if  we  don't  have  a 
great  summer,  it'll  be  our  own  fault,  not 
that  of  the  house-boat." 

That  same  evening  Jock  departed  for 
New  York,  and  one  week  afterward  all 
four  of  the  boys  were  at  Alexandria  Bay, 
prepared  to  enter  upon  their  first  experi- 
ence in  living  on  board  a  house-boat  on  the 
St.  Lawrence. 


-tr 


CHAPTER   Vin. 


THE    STARTING   OF   THE   HOUSE-BOAT. 

It  was  a  perfect  summer  day  when  our 
four  friends  met  at  Alexandria  Bay.  It 
was  late  in  June,  and  the  "  season "  on 
the  St.  Lawrence  had  not  yet  fairly  be- 
gun; but  as  the  boys  stood  together  on 
the  dock  and  looked  out  over  the  rushing 
river,  already  they  could  see  many  signs  of 
the  stirring  days  that  were  soon  to  come. 
Even  at  this  early  date  beautiful  yachts 
were  speeding  away  in  the  distance,  the 
fishermen  were  grouped  together  near  the 
dock  waiting  for  the  coming  of  their  own 
particular  prey, — for  many  of  them  were  as 
successful  as  fishers  of  men  as  they  were  of 
the  savage  bass,  —  cottages  were  opened, 
and  over  all  was  the  warm  June  sunlight, 
which  seemed  to  impart  something  of  its 
own  warmth  and  light  and  life  to  the 
inspiring  scene. 

As  soon  as  the  greetings  had  been  given, 

95 


96      HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LA  WHENCE. 

•which  one  may  be  sure  were  thoroughly 
characteristic  of  the  joy  of  four  students 
who  had  successfully  left  behind  them  all 
the  woes  and  experiences  peculiar  to  fresh- 
man year  in  college  (Bob  himself  having, 
by  great  exertions,  managed  to  cover  the 
work  which  his  classmates  had  done  in  his 
absence,  and  so  was  as  confident  of  his 
sophomoric  honors  as  if  the  examinations 
had  already  been  passed),  they  eagerly 
turned  to  view  the  house-boat  which  was 
to  be  their  home  for  the  two  months  to 
come. 

At  first  sight  it  did  not  appear  to  be  a 
very  imposing  affair.  It  practically  was  a 
small  scow,  on  which  a  cabin  of  more  than 
ordinary  size  had  been  constructed.  Indeed, 
the  "  cabin  "  seemed  to  cover  nearly  all  the 
deck,  as  but  a  few  feet  at  either  end  were 
left  exposed.  Quickly  Jock  led  the  way, 
and,  with  his  friends,  in  a  few  minutes  was 
busily  examining  the  interior  of  the  boat. 
There  were  three  apartments,  two  of  which 
were  designed  to  afford  sleeping  accommo- 
dations. These,  though  rude, — for  they 
were  only  berths  or  bunks  built  into  the 
sides  of  the  rooms,  —  promised  to  be  suffi- 
ciently comfortable,   and  as   the   boys   in 


THE  STARTfNG   OF  THE  HOUSE-BOAT.      97 


their  enthusiasm  were  not  inclined  to  be 
critical,  they  were  abundantly  satisfied  with 
their  inspection.  These  "  rooms  "  were  con- 
nected, and  both  opened  into  the  room  in 
the  rear,  which  was  arranged  to  be  kitchen 
and  dining  room  in  one.  Closets  and  places 
in  which  their  provisions  were  to  be  stored 
adjoined  it,  but  the  stove  and  table  were 
all  in  the  one  room. 

The  house-boat  was  fast  to  the  dock,  and 
the  labor  of  transferring  their  belongings  to 
their  new  abode  was  at  once  begun.  Ham- 
mocks, books,  chairs,  cameras,  and  trunks 
had  been  sent  to  Alexandria  Bay  in  ad- 
vance of  the  coming  of  the  boys,  and  so 
were  ready  and  waiting  for  them  now.  A 
light  canoe,  which  was  Ben's  own  special 
possession,  was  also  there,  and  this  was 
placed  on  the  deck  of  the  house-boat,  stand- 
ing, as  its  proud  owner  declared, "  like  a  life- 
boat to  be  used  in  case  of  danger  or  peril." 
Bods  and  lines  in  abundance  were  also  pro- 
vided, and  within  an  hour  the  house-boat 
was  all  in  readiness  for  the  expedition. 

Ethan  had  been  there  to  meet  them  and 
assist  in  the  duties,  and  with  him  was  a 
tall,  thin  man  in  middle  life  whom  he  intro- 
duced  as   Jed   Bates,   his   companion   and 


ill 


m 


98      nOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

helper  for  the  summer.  The  first  glimpse 
at  Ethan's  assistant  had  convinced  the  boys 
that  he  was  as  much  of  a  character  in  his 
own  way  as  was  the  worthy  Ethan  himself. 
His  face  and  arms  were  bronzed  from  expos- 
ure to  the  wind  and  sun  on  the  river.  He 
had  a  quick,  keen  manner  of  glancing  about 
him,  but  his  expression  was  one  that  prom- 
ised to  be  extremely  serious,  and  caused  the 
boys  to  fear  that  he  might  not  be  the  most 
congenial  of  men  to  have  with  them  for  a 
summer  outing.  However,  nearly  all  the 
boatmen  had  the  same  solemn  manner,  and 
the  young  explorers  were  soon  to  discover 
that  Jed's  face  and  manner  belied  their 
promise.  His  face  was  smoothly  shaved, 
except  for  a  mustache  which  seemed  to 
have  responded  to  the  St.  Lawrence  winds 
as  much  as  had  his  features,  for  it  was 
almost  colorless.  It  was,  however,  evident 
that  the  man  was  possessed  of  great  physi- 
cal strength,  and  as  the  selection  of  a  "  vice- 
president,"  as  Bob  called  Ethan's  assistant, 
had  been  left  to  the  judgment  of  the  boat- 
man, they  were  all  satisfied  that  he  would 
prove  to  be  an  acquisition  to  their  party. 

"  How  does  the  old  tub  work,  anyhow  ?  " 
inquired  Bert,  when  at  last  all  their  posses- 


V.:ri- A. '^ii  :-.:,■■; 


THE  STARTING   OF  THE  HOUSE-BOAT.      99 


sions  and  tho  supplies  which  Etlian  had 
been  instructed  to  purchase  had  been  stored 
on  board.  "  It  doesn't  run  by  steam  and 
there  isn't  a  place  for  a  sail.  Does  it  just 
drift  ?  " 

'^  Prob'ly  drifts  up  the  rapids  when  it 
goes  through  them,"  n  .narked  Jed,  with  a 
glance  of  contempt  or  amusement  at  the 
speaker. 

"  But  how  does  it  go  ?  "  continued  Bert, 
who  was  not  to  be  quieted  by  the  superior 
knowledge  of  the  assistant  boatman. 

"  It  works  same  as  a  canal -boat,"  said 
Jed,  dryly.  ''  Some  has  a  team  o'  mules  to 
work  along  the  banks  an'  haul  the  scow 
along,  an'  some  has  boys  an'  men  to  haul  it. 
I  went  down  to  Mad'son  County  once  to  pick 
hops,  and  I  see  lots  o'  canal-boats  there. 
They  say  as  how  some  college  boys  works 
their  passage  home  by  drivin'  the  mules." 

"  I  can  well  believe  that,"  said  Bert,  with 
a  laugh.  "  I  think  I  know  of  some  fellows 
myself  who  would  have  just  about  that 
amount  of  money  left  in  their  pockets  at 
the  end  of  the  year.  But  I'd  really  like  to 
know  how  this  affair  is  worked,  anyway." 

"  We  have  a  tug,"  explained  Jock. 

"  A  tug  ?     Do  you  expect  to  keep  a  tug 


100     HOUSE-BOAT  OX  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 


mk  i  ■■ 


u 


m 


with  us  all  the  time  ?  If  you  do,  I'm  glad 
I'm  the  guest  and  not  the  host,  for  the 
secretary  of  the  treasury  would  veto  the 
appropriation  necessary,  I  know  he  would." 

"  No,  we  shan't  have  a  tug  all  the  time," 
said  Jock.  "  We'll  have  one  to  take  us 
wherever  we  want  to  go,  and  then  leave  us 
till  we  want  to  move  on.  Ethan,  where  are 
we  to  go  first  ?  " 

"  I  thought  I'd  have  'em  haul  us  around 
into  Eel  Bay,"  replied  Ethan;  "  we'll  find  a 
good  cove  somewhere  there  and  stay  for  a 
few  days,  if  not  longer.  Then  if  we  don't 
like  it  we'll  move  on.  We  shan't  be 
obliged  to  stay  anywhere  longer'n  we  want 
to.  It's  my  'pinion  as  heow  'bout  three 
days  will  satisfy  ye  and  ye'll  be  more'n 
willin'  for  the  expedition  to  be  abandoned, 
same  as  that  Carter  ye  was  tellin'  about 
last  summer  left  some  o'  his  boats  away 
deown  by  Montreal  and  was  glad  to  sail  back 
for  France  with  the  others." 

"That  reminds  me,"  said  Ben,  soberly. 
"  Here's  Bob,  who  doubtless  has  been  read- 
ing up  for  our  special  benefit  on  some  line 
connected  with  our  trip.  What  is  it  to  be 
this  summer,  professor  ?  " 

"I've   been   reading  up   on    Frontenac, 


■■i 


THE  STARTL\G   OF  THE  IfOUSE-BOAT.     101 


fellows,"  s.iid  Bob.  "  It's  a  grojit  story, 
too.  Do  you  know,  I  never  realized  how 
much  there  was  that  is  interesting  in  the 
story  of  those  old  fellows  who  first  caine 
up  this  river.  It  reads  almost  like  a  dime 
novel." 

"  I  have  no  conception  of  what  you  mean 
by  that,"  replied  Ben,  soberly.  "  I  never 
indulge  in  the  pastime  of  reading  such 
stuff." 

^^A  dime  novel  is  too  high  for  Ben's 
pocket,"  said  Bert.  "  He  indulges  in  the 
'penny  dreadful.'    That's  nearer  his  mark." 

"  All  the  same  the  story  of  Frontenac  and 
his  men  is  a  mighty  interesting  one,  boys. 
At  least  it  was  to  me." 

"  That's  right.  Bob,"  said  Jock,  cor- 
dially. '^  I  haven't  a  doubt  that  we'll  all 
enjoy  it  too.  But  how  in  the  world  did 
you  manage  to  get  time  to  read  up  on  Fron- 
tenac when  you  had  your  school  work  to 
do,  and  then  kept  up  with  our  class  in  your 
studies  too  ?   That  beats  me." 

"  Why,  it  was  this  way,"  explained  Bob. 
"  I  had  an  hour  every  noon  between  the 
two  sessions,  you  see.  It  took  me  about 
half  an  hour  for  my  dinner,  and  the  other 
half  I  spent  in  reading  up  on  Frontenac.  It's 


102     IIOU HE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


^ 


wonderful  how  much  one  can  do  in  a  week 
or  a  month  by  keeping  at  it,  even  if  he 
doesn't  give  more  thjin  a  half-hour  a  day 
to  his  reading.  Hello,  what's  this?"  he 
suddenly  added. 

A  little  tugboat  had  just  steamed  along- 
side the  dock,  and,  as  Ethan  hailed  it,  it 
became  evident  at  once  that  this  was  the 
one  which  was  to  haul  them  to  their  first 
resting-place  in  Eel  Bay. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  lines  were  cast  off, 
and  the  house-boat  was  taken  in  tow,  and 
so  the  first  of  their  voyages  was  begim.  A 
fewm(  1  and  boys  on  the  dock  watched  the 
departure,  perhaps  wondering  what  pleas- 
ure the  eager-hearted  lads  could  find  in 
such  a  craft.  But  our  friends,  at  least,  were 
not  troubled  by  any  misgivings,  and  their 
college  cheer  rang  out  over  the  water  as 
the  line  tightened  and  the  house-boat  turned 
slowly  and  began  to  follow  the  puffing 
little  tug  out  into  the  river. 

The  boys  settled  back  into  their  chairs, 
which  had  been  placed  on  deck,  keenly 
enjoying  the  experience,  and  as  Ethan  then 
approached  they  expressed  to  him  their 
delight  in  everything  pertaining  to  the 
morning. 


THE  STAIlTrNC   OF  TUE  HOUSE-BOAT.     103 


"I  thought  likely  ye'd  liko  it  first  olV," 
replied  Ethan,  evidently  pleased  with  their 
words  of  praise,  *'  an'  so  I  told  the  ca[)'ii  o' 
the  tug  (he's  Tim  Phelps,  an'  his  gran'- 
niother's  cousin  was  my  father's  second 
wife's  sister,  so  we're  a  bit  related,  ye  see) 
to  take  us  on  a  good  long  trip  afore  we 
settled  deown  for  the  night." 

"  That's  right,  Ethan,"  said  Jock,  enthu- 
siastically. "  We  can't  have  too  nmch  of 
this.     Isn't  this  glorious,  fellows  ?  " 

Indeed  it  was  a  sight  to  quicken  the 
pulses  of  a  less  impulsive  lad  than  Jock 
Cope.  The  glorious  sun,  the  deep  blue  of 
the  rushing  waters  over  which  they  were 
passing,  the  many  beautiful  little  islands 
rear,  upon  many  of  which  still  more  beau- 
tiful summer  homes  had  been  erected,  the 
tree-lined  shores  in  the  distance,  the  soft 
breath  of  the  June  day,  and  more  than  all, 
the  abounding  spirits  and  strong  love  of 
the  four  boys  for  one  another  —  all  combined 
to  increase  the  mere  joy  of  living. 

For  a  time  the  boys  were  silent  as  they 
watched  the  scenes  through  which  they 
were  passing.  Across  from  Alexandria 
Bay  toward  Grenadier  Island  they  moved, 
passing  at  times  close  to  the  shores  of  the 


^  I 


!i 


P 


;l!l 


ir 


104     nOUSE-liOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LA  WHENCE. 

smaller  islands  and  able  to  give  a  hail  to 
the  people  already  there ;  then  turning 
somewhat  sharply  in  its  course,  the  puffing 
little  tug  drew  them  through  the  narrow 
passages  toward  the  Canadian  channel. 
It  almost  seemed  to  them  that  they  nuist 
strike  some  of  the  shores,  so  close  to  them 
did  they  pass.  Flags,  many  of  them  of  the 
jiiuglish  nation,  were  waving  in  the  breeze, 
names  of  islands  were  painted  in  fancy 
colors  on  some  huge  boulder  or  floated  on  a 
streamer  underneath  the  waving  Hag,  skiffs 
were  putting  out  from  boat-houses,  or  boys 
and  children  were  fishing  from  the  steep 
shores  directlv  in  front  of  the  cotta>]i:es.  It 
was  a  sight  as  inspiring  as  it  was  novel, 
and  small  wonder  was  it  that  the  enthu- 
siasm of  the  boys  almost  broke  all  bounds. 
There  was  not  a  shadow  on  life,  and  merely 
to  breathe  the  bracing  air  and  watch  the 
changing  sights  were  of  themselves  suffi- 
cient tc  interest  them.  No  two  moments 
were  alike,  and  the  name  "  Fairyland." 
which  they  had  spied  upon  one  of  the 
islands,  seemed  best  to  describe  it  all. 

Ethan  pointed  out  the  various  places  of 
special  interest,  and  in  spite  of  his  air  of 
apparent  indift'erence  even  his  bronzed  face 


>» 


Mi;an\viiii.k  tiik   noisy   mttlk  ti  <;   was  iM;i.LiN(.i  stkaihi.v   at 
ITH   111 :ki>i:n.      I'agt'  l(>r». 


THE  STARTING  OF  THE  HOUSE-BOAT.     105 


began  to  show  that  he  too  was  not  unmoved 
by  the  beauty  of  the  surroundings  and  the 
enthusiasm  of  the  boys  by  his  side. 

Later  he  excused  himself,  and  when  our 
boys  were  summoned  to  dinner,  they  dis- 
covered that,  beneath  a  canopy  on  the  after 
deck,  the  two  boatmen  had  spread  a  table 
which  to  the  sight  of  the  beholders  seemed 
fit  for  a  king.  Perhaps  it  would  have  mat- 
tered little  what  had  been  prepared  for 
them ;  they  would  doubtless  have  responded 
with  equal  zeal  in  almost  any  case,  so  keen 
was  their  appetite  and  so  thorough  their 
sense  of  enjoyment.  Their  light-hearted 
laughter  woke  the  echoes  from  the  bald 
and  rocky  islands,  their  songs  were  borne 
back  upon  the  soft  air,  and  even  their 
happiness  seemed  to  be  reflected  in  the 
beautiful  places  they  passed.  Apparently 
all  things  had  conspired  to  add  to  their 
enjoyment. 

Meanwhile  the  noisy  little  tug  was  pull- 
ing steadily  at  its  burden.  The  house-boat, 
though  clumsy,  was  comparatively  light  and 
readily  followed  the  lead,  and  so  good  time 
was  made.  By  the  middle  of  the  after- 
noon it  had  entered  the  broader  waters  of 
the  Canadian  channel  and  soon  afterward 


t  M 


:  I 


;.i  ( 


^'■ 


■>!  § 


ii 


.  ?! 
li  { 


106     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

the  course  was  changed  as  the  tug  led  the 
way  around  Grand  View  Park  and  then 
started  across  Eel  Bay  toward  the  spot 
on  Grindstone  Island  whither  Ethan  had 
ordered  it  to  go. 

It  was  not  yet  dusk  when  at  last  the 
little  cove  had  been  found,  the  house-boat 
was  made  fast  for  the  night,  and  the  tag 
had  departed  on  its  way,  leaving  behind  it 
a  long  streamer  of  black  smoke  as  if  it 
would  stretch  over  the  waters  a  dark  ribbon 
as  a  token  of  its  reluctance  to  leave  the 
happy-hearted  boys  whose  shouts  and  songs 
and  laughter  had  been  heard  all  the  sum- 
mer afternoon. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


ANCHORED. 


No  sooner  had  the  noisy  little  tug  dis- 
appeared from  sight  than  Ethan  said, 
*'  We're  all  fast  for  the  night  here  now, 
boys.  You'd  better  be  stowing  away  your 
belongings  while  Jed  and  I  are  cooking 
up  a  supper.  I  s'pose  ye're  about  ready 
for  somethin'  to  eat  again." 

"Always  ready,  always  ready,  Ethan," 
responded  Jock.  "I'm  glad  to  perceive 
that  you  haven't  forgotten  what  we  are  as 
well  as  who  we  are." 

"  I'm  not  likely  to  forget  ye.  Do  you 
know  how  many  p'tatoes  ye  had  in  your 
camp  last  summer  ?  " 

"  I  haven't  the  slightest  idea.  Perhaps 
a  thousand." 

"  A  thousan' !  a  thousan' !  What  d'ye 
mean  ?     Bushels  ?  " 

"  Do  they  measure  potatoes  by  the  bushel, 
Ethan  ?      I  didn't   know   but   the   custom 

107 


I 


108     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

was  to  count  them.  The  truth  of  the  mat- 
ter is,  Ethan,  I  never  thought  much  about 
it,  anyway.  It  was  the  potato  itself  I  was 
thinking  of.  I  don't  have  them  three  times 
a  day  when  I'm  at  home." 

"  What  in  the  world  do  they  feed  ye  on, 
then,  I'd  like  to  know  ?  " 

"  Oh,  various  articles  of  diet ;  but  we 
never  have  potatoes  more  than  once  a 
day." 

"  That  beats  me,"  exclaimed  Ethan,  at 
once  forgetful  of  the  amount  which  had 
been  disposed  of  in  the  preceding  summer; 
*'  I  don't  see  what  city  folks  do,  then,  if 
they  don't  have  p'tatoes." 

"  Never  mind  that  now,  Ethan,  please," 
suggested  Ben,  soberly.  '^  You  can't  have 
them  too  often  while  we're  Avith  you.  Are 
you  going  to  leave  the  house-boat  here 
where  we  are  now  ?  " 

"  Just  for  a  day  or  two.  We  can  move 
on  whenever  we  want  to.  It's  'most  like 
having  yer  house  on  yer  back.  Whenever 
ye  feel  like  it  ye  can  move  all  yer  belong- 
ings and  find  a  camp  jest  where  ye  please." 
As  Ethp.n  turned  away  to  prepare  the  even- 
ing meal,  the  boys  entered  the  cabin,  and 
for  a  half-hour  were  busy  in  storing  away 


W 


ANCHOUED. 


109 


their  belongings.  The  rooms  were  small, 
but  sufficiently  large  to  enable  them  to  find 
places  for  their  possessions.  The  bunks 
were  made  ready  for  the  night,  and  when 
these  tasks  had  been  completed,  the  sten- 
torian tones  of  the  boatman  were  heard 
summoning  them  to  supper. 

The  boys  responded  without  any  urging, 
we  may  be  sure,  and  their  delight  was 
great  when  they  discovered  that  a  tempt- 
ing repast  had  been  prepared  and  spread  on 
the  table  on  the  after  deck.  The  sun  had 
nov/  almost  disappeared  from  sight,  but,  as 
the  light  lingered  long  in  the  summer  days, 
they  could  plainly  see  all  about  them. 

They  were  near  the  shore  of  one  of  the 
larger  islands.  Huge  boulders  were  piled 
up  near  the  water,  and  as  the  boys  glanced 
over  the  edge  of  the  house-boat,  they  could 
also  see  that  the  bottom  of  the  river  was 
covered  with  great  rocks.  A  thick  growth 
of  trees  lined  the  shores,  and  not  far  away 
were  other  islands,  some  large  and  some 
small.  Across  Eel  Bay  they  could  see 
skiffs  making  their  way  back  toward  the 
region  where  the  hotels  were,  and  it  re- 
quired no  explanation  to  understand  that 
the  boats  contained  fishing  parties  that  had 


i-:.  .  I  '■     i| 


110     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

been  out  for  a  day's  sport.  The  lapping  of 
the  little  waves  upon  the  shore  provided 
the  music  for  the  banquet.  Overhead  the 
silent,  twinkling  stars  were  beginning  to 
appear  in  the  heavens,  and  a  soft  breeze 
slightly  stirred  the  leaves  of  the  near-by 
trees,  and  the  gentle  sighing  produced 
added  to  the  weirdness  of  the  scene. 

For  a  moment  none  of  the  boys  spoke, 
so  impressed  were  they  all  by  the  beauty 
and  strangeness  of  their  surroundings ;  but 
in  a  moment  the  high-keyed  voice  of  Jed, 
as  well  as  the  demands  of  their  own  appe- 
tites, recalled  them  to  the  immediate  duty 
at  hand. 

^'  Better  eat  yer  victuals,  boys.  They'll 
be  gettin'  cold." 

The  spell  was  gone,  and  the  boys  all  fell 
to  with  a  will.  The  silence  was  broken  by 
the  laughter  and  shouts  of  the  campers, 
and  the  food  began  to  disappear  from  the 
table  with  a  rapidity  that  produced  a  smile 
upon  the  rugged  countenances  of  both  their 
attendants. 

"  It  doesn't  seem  as  if  Count  Frontenac 
ever  sailed  over  these  waters,  does  it,  fel- 
lows?" said  Bob,  soberly,  as  he  lifted  his 
third  huge  potato  on  the  end  of  his  fork. 


ANCUOIiKD. 


Ill 


"  Now  look  here,  Bob,"  said  Bert,  sternly, 
"  we've  got  to  have  this  matter  settled  once 
and  for  all.  We  listened  patiently  to  what 
you  had  to  say  last  summer,  but  I  want  a 
pretty  clear  understanding  as  to  what  we've 
got  to  put  up  with  this  year.  Do  what  I 
will  I  simply  can't  shake  off  Cartier  and 
Champlain  and  Cavour  and  Canada  and  all 
the  other  C's  you  told  us  about.  I'm  not 
objecting  to  your  lectures,  but  I  do  think 
we  ought  to  know  just  when  to  expect 
them,  and  so  get  ready  to  endure  them." 

"  Jock,"  said  Bob,  beseechingly,  "  you're 
the  king  of  this  party.  Won't  you  settle 
this  matter?  I'd  like  to  know  whether, 
after  all  the  reading  and  studying  I've  done 
this  spring,  I'm  not  going  to  be  allowed  to 
say  one  word  about  Frontenac." 

"Of  course  you're  going  to  tell  us  all 
about  him,"  said  Jock,  eagerly.  "  Bert 
wants  to  know  as  much  as  any  of  us,  but 
he's  never  yet  been  able  to  take  anything 
seriously,  and  so  you  mustn't  mind  him. 
Bob.  You've  been  away  from  us  some 
time,  you  know,  and  perhaps  have  forgot- 
ten that  Bert  was  a  freshman  only  a  few 
short  days  since." 

"  I'm  not  objecting  to  the  lectures,"  re- 


J  J  i 


I . 


f  I 


n\ 


fl 


If 


if '' 

at  «-f 


112     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

plied  Bert,  sturdily.  "  I'm  as  eager  to  hear 
about  this  old  fellow  —  what  did  you  say 
his  name  was?  —  as  I  am  to  have  Bob 
leave  that  last  potato  there  for  me.  All 
I  object  to  is  that  ho  should  be  free  to 
inflict  his  tortures  on  us  any  time  he 
chooses,  which  I  suspect  will  be  pretty 
nuich  all  the  time.  Now  just  suppose  I 
had  hooked  a  four-pound  bass,  and  just  aa 
I  began  to  play  him  Bob  should  break  in 
with,  *  As  I  was  saying,  tiiis  Frontenac, 
after  killing  nineteen  savages  by  one  thrust 
of  his  spear  and  pinning  sixteen  and  a  half 
more  to  the  ground  with  the  dagger  which 
he  tenderly  but  firmly  clutched  with  his 
left  hand,  shouted,  *  I'm  he !  I'm  here ! 
Behold  me,  the  vassal  of  Louis  the  king ! 
I'm  a  sic  semper  tyrannis !  Vive  le  roil 
Enteuthen  exelaunei.  Gallia  est  omnis  di- 
visa/  and  a  few  other  of  his  choice  and 
somewhat  unfamiliar  classical  expressions, 
—  why,  even  that  bass  would  let  go.  No, 
it's  not  that  I  object  to  the  lectures,  —  it's 
only  that  Bob  should  select  an  appropriate 
time  in  which  to  deliver  them." 

"  What  time  would  you  suggest,  Bert  ?  '* 
inquired  Ben. 

"  If  it  was  left  with  me  I'd  say  between 


ANCHORED. 


113 


two  and  three  o'cluck  in  the  morning. 
That's  a  good  quiet  hour,  and  Bob  wouldn't 
be  disturbed." 

"  Stop  your  nonsense,  Bert,"  laughed 
Jock.  ^'  Now  I  suggest  that  Bob  give  us 
his  stories  of  Frontenac  when  we  coine  back 
io  camp  every  night.  I  think  it'll  be  great 
sport  to  sit  around  a  camp-nre  and  hear  Bob 
tell  all  about  the  old  explorers.  And  then, 
too,  on  rainy  days  he  might  give  us  some 
more." 

"  I'm  agreed  to  that,"  responded  Bert. 
"  It  isn't  that  I  object  to  Bob's  beginning. 
It's  the  fear  he'll  never  stop.  Bob's  like 
my  little  brother.  You  know  I've  got  the 
smartest  little  brother  in  New  York,  if  I 
do  say  it.  He's  only  three  years  old,  and 
the  primary  class  in  the  Sunday-school 
was  to  have  an  entertainment  last  Christ- 
mas. •  Well,  of  course  they  wanted  my 
brother  to  take  part,  they  couldn't  get 
along  without  him,  but,  like  me,  he  was 
over  modest  and  bashful,  and  didn't  wi\Ai 
to  speak  his  piece.  At  last  they  fixed  it 
up  by  having  a  whole  line  of  the  little  tots 
stand  up  together,  and  each  one  was  to 
speak  his  piece,  and  when  all  had  spoken 
they  were  to  make  a  bow  and  retire,  cov- 


114    iiousK-noAr  on  r:'E  st.  lawhknck. 


ered  with  glory,  so  to  spoak.  Well,  when 
the  time  came,  what  do  yow.  suppose  that 
little  rascal  did  ?  After  they'd  taken  their 
stand  on  the  platform  and  the  performance 
had  begun,  that  brother  of  mine  spoke  his 
piece  six  different  times.  Whenever  there 
came  a  break  or  any  of  the  children  forgot, 
he'd  start  in  and  give  his  selection  over 
again.  The  last  thing  we  could  hear  when 
they  went  off  the  stage  was  that  brother 
of  mine  giving  his  piece.  Now,  it's  that 
way  with  Bob.  He's  like  an  alarm  clock ; 
if  he  begins,  no  power  on  earth  can  stop 
him  till  he  runs  down.  But  if  he'll  agree 
to  limit  his  lectures  to  evenings  and  rainy 
days,  I'll  be  just  as  eager  to  hear  him  as 
any  of  you." 

"  Any  one  would  think,  to  hear  my  terse 
and  silent  friend  here,  that  I  was  begging 
for  a  chance  to  tejl  you  fellows  what  it  has 
cost  me  ducats  .'ad  midnight  oil  to  get 
myself,"  said  Bob.  "Now,  I  can  assure 
you  I've  no  desire  to  inflict  my  historical 
knowledge  even  on  Bert." 

"  That's  all  right,  old  fellow,"  said  Jock, 
quickly,  fearful  that  Bert's  good-natured 
banter  had  been  misunderstood  by  Bob. 
*'  We  all  want  it,  Bert  just  as  much  as 


ANCUOHED. 


llo 


any  one,  and  it's  mighty  good  of  you  to 
work  it  up  for  us,  too. 

"1  say,  Ethan,"  he  called  suddenly,  "what 
do  you  call  these  things?" 

As  he  spoke  he  held  forth  an  insect  in 
shape  very  much  like  a  mosquito,  only  that 
it  was  many  times  larger. 

"That's  a  eel-fly,"  replied  the  boatman. 
"  There's  lots  o'  them  hereabouts." 

"  So  it  seems,"  exclaimed  Bert,  quickly 
rising  from  his  seat.  "  The  woods  seem 
to  be  full  of  them.  Are  they  savage, 
Ethan?" 

"  Naw !  They  never  hurt  nothin'  nor 
nobody  no  time.  If  ye're  .through  with 
that  table,  we'll  fix  ye  eout  so't  they  won't 
bother  ye  no  more." 

As  apparently  nothing  besides  the  table 
and  dishes  was  left  of  the  repast,  the  boys 
quickly  rose,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  two 
boatmen  had  stored  the  utensils,  after  wash- 
ing them,  and  then,  col^  oting  a  huge  pile 
of  brush  and  fallen  limbs  of  the  trees  on  the 
shore,  set  fire  to  the  mass.  A  dense  cloud 
of  smoke  rolled  out  over  the  river,  and  under 
the  lee  of  the  blaze  the  boys  stretched  them- 
selves upon  the  ground,  watching  the  dart- 
ing flames  and  the  wekd  shadows  they  cast 


? 


n 


h 


!  ! 


i 


I! 


116     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.  LAWBENCE. 

all  about  them.  In  a  few  minutes  tLe  boat- 
men joired  them,  and  seated  before  the 
camp-fire,  Ethan  said,  '  What's  the  plan  for 
the  mornin',  boys?" 

*^  We  thought  we'd  like  to  try  the  bass," 
suggested  Jock. 

*'  Which  'd  ye  like  to  try  first,  boys  ?  " 
inquired  Jed.     "  Bass  or  suckers  ?  " 

"  Why,  the  bass,  of  course.  I  didn't 
know  there  were  any  suckers  here." 

"  I  didn't  say  as  the'  was,  did  I  ?  "  re- 
sponded Jed,  dryly.  "But  suckers  is  not 
far  away.  My  boy.  Perry,  had  a  great 
experience  with  'em  this  spring,  he  and 
Sim  Fox — he's  another  boy  what  lives  on 
the  place  next  to  mine.  He's  jest  abeout 
the  age  o'  my  Perry,  only  he's  abeout  three 
inches  taller  and  six  inches  slimmer  around 
the  waist.  His  ma  was  a  Thorn,  an'  the 
Thorns  was  always  a  slim  lot." 

"  No,  his  ma  Avasn't  a  Thorn,"  interrupted 
Ethan.  "You're  thinkin'  o'  his  pa's  lust 
wife.  She  was  Sairy  Thorn.  I  knew  her 
when  she  was  a  girl.  Sim's  the  secon'  wife's 
boy,  she  that  was  Mercy  Coates." 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  o'  that,"  responded  Jed, 
quickly,  scenting  a  genealogical  fray,  which 
is  ever  dear  to  the  rural  mind.     "  My  im- 


ANCrrOIiED. 


117 


pression  is  thcat  Sim's  Sairy  Thorn's  child, 
and  the  little  fellow  is  Mercy's  boy." 

"  No,  you're  mistaken.  I  know  what 
I'm  talkin'  abeout,'"  baid  Ethan,  firmly. 

"What  was  it  about  the  suckers?" 
inquired  Jock,  quickly,  by  way  of  inter- 
rupting a  discussion  of  the  ancestry  of  the 
aforesaid  Sim,  which  he  was  fearful  might 
lead  to  results  not  altogether  desirable. 

"  Oh,  as  I  was  a  sayin',"  resumed  Jed, 
"  my  boy  Perry  and  Sim  Fox  —  whose  ma 
was  Sairy  Thorn,  as  I  said  —  went  uj)  lo 
Cold  Brook  this  spring  to  snare  suckers. 
They  got  along  there  by  the  Snake  Rock, 
and  lookin'  over  they  see  a  whoppin'  big 
sucker,  'most  a  foot  an'  a  half  long.  So 
Sim  Fox,  —  his  ma  was  Sairy  Thorn,  ye 
know,  —  he  up  an'  snared  the  fellow 
quicker'n  shootin'.  Well,  they  tossed  iiim 
—  the  sucker,  I  mean  —  into  a  hollow  o' 
Snake  Rock,  which  had  some  water  in  it, 
an'  then  they  looked  down  into  the  brook 
again,  an'  there  was  another  sucker,  jest 
as  big  as  the  tother  one.  Perry  snared 
him,  and  threw  him  into  the  puddle  in  the 
rock,  too.  Well,  lo  an'  behold  ye,  the 
suckers  seemed  to  ccmie  right  along  on  pur- 
pose to  be  snared.     About  one  a  minit  they 


!l 


4^i 


iii 


il 


■I* 


i 


118     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

was  there,  an'  every  one  jest  the  same  size 
as  the  fust  one  they  took.  Well,  they  kep' 
it  up  for  an  hour,  an'  threw  every  one  they 
got  into  the  puddle  in  Snake  Rock,  jest  to 
keep  'em  fresh-like,  ye  see.  When  a  hour 
had  gone,  an'  Perry  an'  Sim  Fox  —  his 
mother  was  Sairy  Thorn,  ye  know  —  had 
abeout  all  the  fun  the'  wanted,  they  thought 
they'd  gather  up  the  suckers  an'  start  for 
home ;  so  they  fixed  up  their  snares,  an' 
went  to  the  hole  in  the  rock  to  get  the  fish 
Lo  an'  behold  ye,  there  w^asn't  but  one  poor 
lone  sucker  in  the  puddle,  an'  he  was  so 
tuckered  eout  he  couldn't  skasely  wiggle  his 
tail.  Both  Perry  and  Sim  —  Sim's  ma  was 
a  Thorn  —  thought  that  was  queer,  an'  so 
they  begun  to  'nvestigate.  Neow,  what 
d'ye  s'pose  they  discovered  ?  " 

"  I  haven't  the  slightest  idea,"  said  Jock. 

*•  Why,  they  found  out  that  there  was  a 
hole  through  that  rock  right  straight  deown 
to  the  brook,  an'  every  time  they'd  throwed 
that  poor  sucker  in  there  he'd  just  slid  right 
down  through  that  hole  into  the  water 
again.  An'  there  they'd  been  a  whole  hour 
jest  a  catchin'  the  very  same  sucker  over 
an'  over  again.  No  wonder  the  poor  thing 
was  so  tuckered  out  he  couldn't  do  more'n 


i 


■f 


ANCHORED. 


119 


\; 


■f 


just  wiggle  his  tail  and  smile  at  'em. 
Couldn't  even  slide  through  the  hole  at 
last." 

"  I  don't  see  just  the  bearing  of  that 
story  on  our  catching  bass,"  said  Bob,  sol- 
emnly, as  his  companions  broke  into  a  loud 
laugh. 

"  Why,  I  don't  know  as  I  do,  neither," 
replied  Jed,  vvith  a  grin.  "  I  thought  I'd 
jest  tell  ye  the  story,  an'  you  could  draw 
yer  own  conclusions." 

'^  Jed,"  remarked  Ethan,  "  Sim  Fox's  ma 
was  she  that  was  Mercy  Coates." 

"  I  know  what  I'm  talkin'  abeout,"  re- 
torted Jed,  sharply.  "  I  guess  I  know  the 
difference  between  a  Thorn  an'  a  Coates." 

"  Come  on,  boys,  let's  go  to  bed,"  said 
Jock,  quickly,  rising  as  he  spoke,  and  hop- 
ing thereby  to  put  an  end  to  the  contro- 
versy. 

The  boys  responded ;  but  long  after  they 
were  in  their  bunks  tliey  could  hear  the 
warm  tones  of  the  boatmen,  and  above  the 
stillness  of  the  night  the  relative  merits  of 
the  Thorns  and  Coates  were  thrown  out 
upon  the  night  wind. 


.;i  '  i 


fi  ff- 


CHAPTER  X. 


INTERRUPTED    SPORT. 


When  the  boys  seated  themselves  at  the 
breakfast  table  on  the  followmg  inorning, 
the  appearance  of  the  clouds  led  Jock  to 
say,  "  It's  going  to  rain,  isn't  it,  Ethan  ?" 

"  Looks  that  way,"  replied  the  boatman, 
glancing  at  the  sky  as  he  spoke. 

"  Naw ;  'twon't  rain  this  mornin',"  inter- 
rupted Jed.  *'  The  sun '11  burn  away  every 
cloud  ye  see  afore  noon." 

"  You'll  find  eout  abeout  that,  I'm  think- 
in',"  retorted  Ethan,  evidently  somewhat 
amazed  by  the  superior  airs  of  his  com- 
panion. 

"  No,  sir.  Jest  as  sure's  you're  born, 
we're  goin'  to  have  a  good  day." 

"I  shan't  say  no  more,"  said  Ethan, 
sturdily.  "  ^  The  proof  o'  the  puddin'  is  in 
the  eatin'.'" 

*'I  shan't  say  no  more,  either,"  replied 
Jed,  "  though   there's  no  more  doubt  that 

120 


INTERRUPTED  SPORT. 


121 


this  is  goin'  to  bo  a  fine  day  than  that  I'm 
a  sittin'  here." 

"  Some  folks  don't  never  seem  to  he  able 
to  learn  nothin',"  replied  Ethan,  sharply. 
"  They  live  out  all  their  born  days,  an' 
don't  know  no  more'n  they  did  the  very 
first  breath  they  drew.  Beats  all  heow 
little  some  folks  know." 

"  That's  what  it  does,"  retorted  Jed,  as 
unmindful  of  his  declaration  of  silence 
as  was  his  comrade.  "  Some  folks  jest 
stay  in  one  place  all  their  born  days  an' 
think  what  they  see  there  is  all  there  is 
i;0  it. 

"  You  talk  as  if  you  had  travelled,  Jed," 
said  Bob,  thinking  to  make  an  end  of  the 
controversy. 

"  Oh,  I've  been  abeout  some  in  my  time," 
responded  Jed.  ^'  I  went  deown  to  Mad'son 
County  one  time  a  hop  pickin'.  Ethan  here 
has  never  been  outside  o'  Jefferson  an'  St. 
Lawrence  counties.  He  thinks  everything 
in  all  the  world  is  to  be  measured  with  his 
little  pint  cup." 

"  I  don't  have  to  go  off  deown  to  Mad'son 
County  to  learn  enough  to  know  when  it's 
goin'  to  rain.  I  knew  that  much  when 
I  was  born.     Some  folks  think  jest  because 


E 


ill   li'i 


II 


|1         1 


I-  i 


i! 


r.  ■  i  ,^ 


i^  . 


i 


L ',«  1 


122     HOUSEBOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

they  had  a  ride  on  the  cars  once,  that  they 
know  it  all." 

The  signs  of  warfare  between  the  boat- 
men were  not  to  be  mistaken,  so  Jock, 
desirous  of  keeping  the  peace,  quickly  inter- 
posed, and  said  :  "  We  thought  we'd  like  to 
try  the  fishing  this  morning,  Ethan.  We 
shan't  need  to  go  far  away  from  the  house- 
boat, and  if  it  rains,  we  can  come  back. 
That  will  be  all  right,  won't  it  ? " 

"  Certain.  Jest  as  soon  as  Jed  an'  I 
have  cleared  away  the  breakfast  dishes, 
we'll  put  out,  if  ye  so  desire.  Come  on, 
Jed." 

The  boys  at  once  arose  and  departed  to 
prepare  their  fishing  tackle,  and  while  these 
preparations  were  going  on  they  could  hear 
the  boatmen  engaged  in  a  conversation 
which  evidently  was  entirely  friendly,  and 
so  the  storm  which  threatened  to  disturb 
the  peace  of  the  camp  had  passed,  they 
concluded.  The  rivalry  of  the  men  was 
a  fact  which  must  not  be  forgotten  they 
now  v/ere  well  aware,  and  though  they 
laughed  over  it  as  they  talked  together 
while  they  were  fitting  out  their  rods  and 
preparing  for  the  sport  of  the  day,  all  four 
of  them  realized  that  serious  trouble  for 


INTERRUPTED  SPORT. 


123 


the  camp  might  result  from  it,  and  Jock 
repeatedly  cautioned  liiL  x'riends  to  be  on 
their  guard  against  fanning  the  little  flame 
into  a  blaze. 

In  a  brief  time  all  things  were  in  readi- 
ness, and  Ethan's  hail  announced  that  the 
boatmen  were  waiting.  The  elder  man 
was  seated  in  one  of  the  two  skiifs  which 
had  been  brought  with  them,  and  Jed  was 
in  the  other.  The  party  was  divided  as 
it  had  been  in  the  preceding  summer,  Jock 
and  Bob  going  with  Ethan,  and  Bert  and 
Ben  casting  in  their  lot  with  Jed.  The 
rooms  of  the  house-boat  had  been  locked 
by  the  boys,  though  some  of  their  belong- 
ings were  left  on  the  de  k,  both  boatmen 
declaring  that  nothing  would  be  disturbed 
during  their  absence. 

When  they  started  Ethan  rowed  in  one 
direction  and  Jed  in  the  opposite,  and  just 
before  the  latter' s  boat  disappeared  around 
the  point,  Ethan  shouted,  "  Put  back  to 
camp,  Jed,  when  it  begins  to  rain." 

"  'Tisn't  goin'  to  rain !  "  shouted  Jed,  in 
reply. 

"  That  Jed  Bates  is  the  most  conceited 
fellow  on  the  St.  Lawrence  River,"  muttered 
Ethan.      '*  Jest   because   he  went   off  one 


w 


fta 


u 


If 


w 


124    HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

time  pickin'  hops  deown  to  Mad'son  County, 
he  thinks  he's  seen  the  whole  creation  an* 
some  things  besides.  When  it  begins  to 
rain,  as  it  will  inside  o'  three  hours,  mebbe 
he'll  change  his  tune  an'  sing  a  different 
song." 

''  Why  did  you  get  him,  then,  Ethan  ? " 
inquired  Jock. 

"  Oh,  he  does  as  well  as  any  on  'em. 
They're  mostly  alike,  an'  it's  a  which  an' 
t'other  with  them  all.  Seems  like  as  if 
every  man  hereabouts  was  so  conceited  you 
can't  do  nothin'  with  him. 

"I  was  reading  the  other  day,"  said  Bob, 
"  about  a  man  who  served  on  a  jury,  and  it 
seems  he  was  all  alone  in  his  opinion,  and 
all  the  other  eleven  men  had  agreed  on  a 
verdicu.  But  this  one  man  still  held  out, 
and  after  the  disagreement  had  been  re- 
ported, he  explained  it  by  saying  that  they 
were  eleven  of  the  most  obstinate  men  he 
ever  had  seen.  In  fact,  he  couldn't  seem  to 
do  anything  with  them." 

"  That's  jest  it,"  said  Ethan,  quickly,  and 
evidently  failing  to  see  the  point  of  Bob's 
remark.  ^'  That's  jest  the  way  it  is  with 
these  fellows  deown  here.  They're  the 
most  obstinate  lot  ye  ever  seen.     Ye  jest 


INTERRUPTED  SPORT. 


125 


can't  reason  with  'em  any  more'n  ye  can 
lead  a  pig  by  a  halter.  Ye  might  jest  as 
well  give  up  first  as  last.  I'd  let  eout  my 
lines  neow,  boys,  if  I  was  you,"  he  added, 
as  he  rested  on  his  oars  and  attached  a 
minnow  to  each  of  their  hooks.  "  Neow  we'll 
see  what  we'll  see,"  he  said,  as  once  more 
he  resumed  his  labors,  rowing  close  inshore 
and  moving  slowly  against  the  current. 

In  a  few  miautes  Bob  felt  the  welcome 
tug  that  betokened  the  "  strike,"  and  prof- 
iting by  his  experience  of  the  preceding 
summer,  played  his  fish  well  and  soon  drew 
his  victim  alongside  the  skiff,  where  Ethan 
with  his  landing  net  secured  the  fish. 
Tossing  it  into  the  fish-box,  he  attached 
another  minnow  to  Bob's  hook  and  then 
turned  his  attention  to  Jock,  whose  line  was 
darting  through  the  water  at  a  rate  of 
speed  to  indicate  that  he  must  have  hooked 
a  prize.  Jock,  too,  was  successful,  but  when 
his  fish  was  landed  his  disappointment  was 
keen  when  he  perceived  that  it  could  not 
WPTgh  more  than  three-quarters  of  a  pound. 

"I  thought  I  had  a  big  one,"  he  ex- 
plained, as  Ethan  baited  his  hook  and  tossed 
it  outside  the  boat. 

"  Ye  aren't  likely  to  get  many  big  ones 


1 


;iir, 


m    I'*    *■    '■= 


126     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

this  time  o'  the  year.  Ye  may  get  more 
on  'em,  but  later  in  the  season  they've  had 
a  time  to  flesh  up  and  get  more  sizable. 
They  seem  to  be  bitin'  pretty  well  here,  so 
I  guess  I'll  put  out  the  anchor  and  let  ye 
try  it  still  fish  in'  awhile." 

The  "  anchor "  consisted  of  a  large 
square  stone,  attached  to  a  rope.  This 
was  slowly  lowered  into  the  water  and 
when  it  rested  upon  the  bottom  of  the 
river,  the  skiff  swung  around  with  the 
current  and  in  a  few  minutes  was  motion- 
less  and   still. 

For  an  hour  and  a  half  the  boys  con- 
tinued their  sport  and  secured  a  dozen  or 
more  of  the  bass,  though  as  Ethan  had 
prophesied,  the  most  of  them  were  small. 
Some  of  them,  however,  made  up  in  gami- 
ness  for  what  they  lacked  in  size,  and  both 
Bob  and  Jock  were  well  content. 

"  There  comes  the  rain  ! "  exclaimed 
Ethan,  exultingly,  as  the  heavy  drops  be- 
gan to  fall.  "  I  wonder  what  Jed  Bates'll 
have  to  say  neow.  He'd  better  go  off  deown 
to  Mad' son  County  some  more !  I  guess 
he's  better  at  pickin'  hops  than  he  is  at 
tellin'  what  the  weather's  goin'  to  be. 
Shall  I  go  back  to  camp,  boys?"  ,. 


INTERRUPTED  SPORT, 


127 


"  Yes,   I   think    you'd    better 

iiirain 


>» 


-eplied 


Jock.     *'  We 


try  it 


to- 


-inorrow, 
and  besides  we've  all  the  fish  we'll  want 
for  a  (lay,  especially  if  the  other  fellows 
have  had  any  luck." 

"  No  knowin'  what  luck  they'll  have 
along  with  Jed  Bates,"  growled  Ethan,  as 
he  pulled  in  the  anchor.  *'  If  he  doesn't 
know  any  more  abeout  fishin'  than  he  does 
abeout  the  weather,  they'll  not  be  loaded, 
I'm  thinkin'." 

As  the  rain  was  now  falling  steadily, 
Ethan  began  to  row  swiftly,  and  soon  they 
came  within  sight  of  the  house-boat.  As 
soon  as  they  landed,  Ethan,  with  the  aid  of 
the  boys,  spread  the  canopy  over  the  after 
deck,  and  covering  the  three  sides,  left  the 
fourth  exposed.  This  was  in  the  lee  of  the 
storm,  and  enabled  them  to  see  far  out 
over  the  river  in  the  direction  in  which 
their  companions   had   gone. 

Sheltered  as  they  were  from  the  rain,  the 
experience  was  an  enjoyable  one,  although 
they  had  been  compelled  to  forego  a  part 
of  the  morning's  sport  The  rain  dashed 
against  the  covering,  but  could  not  pene- 
trate it.  On  the  river,  as  the  drops  fell, 
they  seemed  to  cause  a  strange  commotion, 


ii  I 


128    nouRE-noAT  on  the  st.  la  whence. 

and  Jock  could  compare  the  sight  with 
nothing  except  corn  in  a  corn-popper. 
The  wind  was  beginning  to  rise  now,  and 
the  little  ripples  near  the  shore  were  begin- 
ing  to  be  more  like  genuine  waves.  Vhe 
"  chaffing  "  which  Bob  and  Jock  had  been 
preparing  for  their  friends  when  they 
should  return,  was  soon  forgotten  as  the 
little  skiff  failed  to  appear.  Indeed,  Ethan 
himself  was  evidently  becoming  anxious, 
but  when  a  half-hour  had  elapsed,  the 
boat  was  discovered  coming  swiftly  around 
the  pcint,  and  the  relief  of  all  three  wf 
apparent. 

As  soon  as  it  landed,  Ethan,  unmindful 
of  his  former  anxiety,  said  dryly,  "  Did 
ye  see  any  signs  o'  rain  out  there,  Jed  ?  " 

"The  wind  shifted  or  'twouldn't  'a' 
rained,"  replied  that  worthy,  glumly. 

"  Yes,  but  I  knew  it  was  goin'  to  shift," 
said  Ethan.  '^  D'y^  know  where  I  thought 
ye'd  gone  to,  Jed  ? " 

Jed  looked  up,  but  made  no  reply,  so 
Ethan  continued :  "  I  thought  ye'd  gone  off 
deown  to  Mad'son  County  pickin'  hops.  I 
did,  fer  a  fact ;  seems  to  me,  though,  that  if 
I  was  a  boatman  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  I'd 
jest  abeout  as  soon  know  when  it  was  a  goin' 


INTEIili  UP  TED  SPOHT. 


129 


to  rain  hereabouts  as  I  would  to  br  infurmed 
abeout  the  wonders  of  that  hop  county. 
IIow  is  it  with  you,  Jed  ?  " 

Ethan's  rival  was  evidently  chagrined, 
and  his  appearance  might  well  have  called 
for  mercy  on  the  part  of  his  companion ; 
but  the  elder  boatman  apparently  was  de- 
termined to  make  the  most  of  his  present 
opportunity,  and  accordingly,  instead  of 
ceasing,  continued  his  speeches  :  — 

*'  I  s'pose  ye  had  putty  fair  luck  ? "  he 
inquired.  "  Fish  ^  ite  putty  well  when  it 
rains.     Heow  many  did  ye  get,  Jed  ? " 

"  Didn't  get  very  many,"  responded  Jed, 
gloomily. 

*'  But  heow  many  did  ye  get  ?  " 

"  The  wind  stirred  the  water  all  up. 
Ye  can't  catch  fish  then." 

"  Some  folks  can,  and  some  can't.  De- 
pends on  the  folks  as  much  as  it  does  on  the 
weather,  m  my  'pinion.  Heow  many  did 
ye  get?" 

"  I  didn't  count  'em." 

"  Bring  on  yer  fish-box  an'  I'll  help  ye," 
exclaimed  Ethan,  exultingly. 

"  'Twon't  take  long  to  count  'em." 

"  Jed  Bates,  heow  many  bass  did  ye  catch 
this  mornin'  ?  " 


I 


130     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


^■3  I 
.i 


I:' 


i.i 


r 


W| 


"  Heow  many  did  you  get?"  suddenly 
inquired  Jed,  turning  at  last  after  the 
manner  of  the  proverbial  worm  upon  his 
tormenter. 

*'  Oh,  nothing  much  to  speak  of.  Ye  see, 
I  knew  'twas  goin'  to  storm  an'  I  didn't 
intend  to  keep  my  boys  out  in  the  rain.  I 
know  sometimes  when  it's  goin'  to  rain,  an' 
when  it  does  rain  I  know  enough  to  go  in 
eout  o'  it." 

'*  Heow  many  bass  did  ye  get,  Etiian  ?  " 
persisted  Jed,  who,  instead  of  perceiving 
that  his  rival  was  simply  leading  him  on, 
now  thought  that  he  had  the  tables  turned. 
"  Heow  many  did  ye  get  ?  Come  neow,  eout 
with  it,  will  ye  !  " 

'^  We  got  thirteen." 

"Not  bass?" 

''  Yes,  bass.  'Twasn't  much  of  a  catch, 
but  we  didn't  try  very  hard."  Jed's  coun- 
tenance fell,  and  his  rival,  quick  to  follow 
up  his  evident  advantage,  continued, "  Neow 
I've  told  you  heow  many  we  got,  you  tell 
us  what  your  catch  was." 

As  Jed  still  hesitated,  Bert  suddenly 
dai  ted  forth  from  the  shelter  of  the  canopy, 
and  a  moment  afterward  returned  with  the 
fish-box  in  his  hands.    When  he  opened  this. 


INTERRUPTED   SPORT. 


1^31 


he  disclosed  to  the  sight  of  the  assembly 
two  little  perch. 

A  loud  laugh  greeted  the  sight,  and 
Ethan,  with  a  grin  on  his  face,  said,  '^  Don't 
laugh,  boys ;  when  a  man  has  done  the  best 
he  knows  heow,  ye  shouldn't  poke  fun  at 
him.  For  my  part,  I  think  Jed  done  first- 
rate." 

'■'  Ye  can't  furnish  fish  and  fishermen  too," 
retorted  Jed,  stung  at  last  beyond  his  power 
to  restrain  himself.  "  There  was  plenty  o' 
bass,  but  the  boys  let  every  one  o'  'em  get 
away.  Yes,  sir,  they  never  landed  one  all 
the  mornin'." 

"  Hear !  hear !  "  shouted  Bob,  delightedly. 

*^  Ethan  probably  caught  all  yoii  had," 
retorted  Bert.  "Didn't  you,  Ethan?"  he 
added. 

The  boatman  smiled  and  there  were  at 
once  signs  that  the  warfare  w^ould  spread, 
so  Jock,  for  the  sake  of  peace,  quickly  inter- 
posed, "  I  say,  fellows,  this  is  the  time  and 
this  is  the  place  for  Bob  to  give  us  his  story 
of  Frontenac." 

"  Frontenac?"  snified  Jed,  apparently  hav- 
ing discovered  a  means  of  redeeming  him- 
self. "  I  guess  everybody  knows  what  an' 
where  that  is." 


|i 


WF 


!;^M 


1 ',%; 

1; 


if  'H 


^1 


132     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

"Do  you?"   inquired  Jock. 

"  I  should  say  I  did ;  why,  everybody 
knows  it's  the  big  hotel  over  to  Round 
Island." 

Disconcerted  by  the  laugh  which  fol- 
lowed, Jed  said,  "But  it  is  jest  as  I'm 
tellin'  ye." 

"  Yes,  but  where  did  the  hotel  get  its 
name  ?  "  inquired  Ben. 

"Keep  still,  fellows,"  said  Jock,  "  and  Bob 
will  tell  us  all  about  it." 

Thus  bidden.  Bob  began  his  story,  and  in 
a  few  moments  even  Ethan  and  Jed  were 
as  deeply  interested  listeners  as  were  their 
young  companions. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


FRONTENAC. 


"It  seems  strange,"  began  Bob,  "that 
this  region  of  the  St.  Lawrence  should  ever 
have  been  the  scene  of  wars  and  struggles, 
and  romances,  too,  for  the  matter  of  that. 
Now,  wherever  one  goes  he  finds  little  vil- 
lages or  scattered  farm-houses,  and  the  peo- 
ple don't  appear  to  be  very  warlike  unless 
you  happen  to  touch  them  on  a  tender  spot, 
such  as  whether  Sim  Fox's  mother  was  a 
Thorn  or  a  Coates." 

"  She  was  a  Coates,"  said  Ethan,  quickly, 
glancing  defiantly  at  Jed  as  he  spoke.  But 
the  rival  boatman  made  no  reply,  for  the  ex- 
periences of  the  morning  had  not  been  such 
as  to  appeal  to  his  controversial  powers. 

"  It  is  a  land  of  romance,"  resumed  Bob  ; 
"  more  so  than  I  ever  dreamed  until  I  began 
to  read  up  on  Frontenac  this  spring.  I 
don't  think  his  chara<  .  is  one  to  be  com- 
mended in  every  respect,  but  he  had  some 
very  admirable  qualities,  and  then,  too,  we 

183 


13i     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


i  i^n 


must  measure  a  man  by  the  standards  of 
his  own  times,  not  by  ours.  I  remember 
reading  in  Macaulay's  histories  somewhere 
—  I  don't  know  that  I  can  give  you  his 
exact  words,  but  I  can  tell  you  the  sub- 
stance —  that  when  we  are  disposed  to  take 
a  dark  or  desponding  view  of  the  present 
times,  we  must  not  forget  that  in  almost 
every  case  what  is  new  is  not  the  evils,  but 
the  enlightened  conscience  which  calls  them 
evdl.  The  evils  have  been  here  all  the  time, 
but  they  weren't  looked  upon  as  evil  until 
people  grew  enough  to  know  it." 

"Do  ye  mean  to  say  as  heow  this  man 
says  the  times  when  we  live  are  better'n 
those  before  us  ?  "  demanded  Ethan,  sharply. 

"  Yes,  that's  just  it,"  replied  Bob. 

"  I  don't  believe  no  sech  thing,"  snorted 
the  boatman.  "  Anybody  with  half  an  eye 
can  see  that  things  is  growin'  worse  all  the 
time  —  worse  an'  worse." 

"  Have  it  your  own  way,  Ethan,"  said 
Bob.  -'I'm  only  telling  you  what  one  of 
the  great  historians  wrote.  So,  if  he  is  cor- 
rect, Frontenac  must  be  judged  by  his  own 
times  and  not  by  ours,  for  it  was  more  than 
two  hundred  years  ago  when  he  was  in  this 
country.     He  was  born  when  Louis  XIII. 


T^i 


FRONTENAC. 


135 


I. 


was  king  of  France,  and  indeed  King  Louis 
gave  Frontenac  his  own  name.  When 
Louis  XIV.  came  to  the  throne,  however, 
he  proved  to  be  a  man  of  very  different 
make-up  from  his  father.  I  know  he  was 
cruel  and  thoroughly  bad  in  many  ways, 
but  he  was  a  brave  and  able  king,  probably 
the  ablest  France  ever  had. 

"  Well,  young  Frontenac  was  a  man  after 
his  own  heart,  for  he  was  bold  and  reckless, 
kind-hearted,  but  ever  ready  for  war.  In- 
deed, he  is  said  to  have  carried  the  war  into 
his  own  family,  for  even  his  wife  couldn't 
get  along  with  him,  though  as  she  was  one 
of  the  strong-minded  females,  a  kind  of 
woman' s-rights  woman  in  her  own  day  and 
generation,  perhaps  that  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered at,  after  all.  There's  a  bit  of  a  ro- 
mance, too,  connected  with  their  niarriage, 
for  it  seems  that  her  family  were  bitterly 
opposed  to  her  marrying  the  young  soldier, 
as  he  had  only  an  income  of  twenty  thou- 
sand francs  a  year,  and  they  didn't  want 
her  to  pass  through  life  a  pauper." 

"  Twenty  thousand  francs  !  "  interrupted 
Ethan.     "  Heow  much  is  that  ? " 

"Oh,  somewhere  about  four  thousand 
dollars." 


I 


i 


Hi. 


186     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

"  An'  her  folks  didn't  want  her  to  marry 
this  chap  when  he  only  had  four  thousand 
dollars  a  year  ?  " 

"  That's  what  the  histories  inform  us." 

"They  must  'a'  been  high-flyers,"  mut- 
tered the  boatman.  "  I  don't  b'lieve  there's 
six  men  at  the  Corners  that  git  more'n  three 
hundred  dollars  a  year." 

"  They  don't  have  to  live  in  France,  fortu- 
nately for  them,"  said  Bob.  "Well,  Fron- 
tenac  and  his  wife  that  was  to  be  followed 
the  example  of  Pyramas  and  Thisbe  in 
more  ways  than  one,  and  the  upshot  of  it 
was  that  they  were  married  and  didn't  live 
happily  forever  after.  He  was  very  suc- 
cessful in  his  way,  and  was  a  very  young 
man  when  he  held  a  commission  that  would 
be  equivalent  to  a  brigadier-general  with 
us.  He'd  fought  in  most  of  the  countries 
of  Europe,  and  was  looked  upon  as  a  prom- 
ising and  able  man.  But  you  don't  care 
anything  about  his  experiences  and  exploits 
in  the  Old  World,  I  know,  and  so  I'll  skip 
over  all  those  things,  and  come  to  his  life 
and  work  on  the  St.  Lawrence. 

"  He  was  fifty-two  years  of  age  when,  in 
1672,  he  landed  at  Quebec.  It  must  have 
been  a  great  change  for  him,  for  he  didn't 


FRONTENAC. 


137 


find  a  very  large  city  there,  you  may  be 
sure,  though  King  Louis  and  his  secretary, 
Colbert,  had  been  sending  over  shiploads  of 
people  every  summer.  Frontenao  was  as 
fiery  and  quick-tempered,  as  full  of  push 
and  go,  as  ever  he  had  been,  and  as  he  had 
lost  what  little  money  he  had,  perhaps  he 
was  thinking  as  much  of  what  he  might  do 
to  build  up  his  own  fortune  as  he  was  of 
what  the  king  of  France  wanted  to  accom- 
plish in  the  New  World,  for  both  Louis  and 
Colbert  had  great  schemes  for  New  France. 
It  is  said  that  there  were  other  and  per- 
sonal reasons  why  Louis  wanted  to  be  rid 
of  the  presence  of  Frontenac ;  but  be  that 
as  it  may,  the  soldier  of  fortune  hadn't 
more  than  landed  before  he  began  to  stir 
up  matters  in  Quebec. 

"^r-.  first  thing  he  did  was  to  make 
himself  acquainted  with  the  real  condition 
of  affairs.  He  was  a  soldier,  and  so  was 
quick  to  see  that  Quebec  was  a  wonderful 
site  for  a  capital  of  a  great  nation  that  was 
yet  to  be.  Then  he  personally  talked  with 
the  traders  and  all  the  men  in  the  city  and 
all  who  came  to  it,  he  visited  the  farms  and 
fishing  stations,  and  even  inspected  >ihe  un- 
finished boats  that  were  then  on  the  stocks. 


m 


' 


n 


m 


!'l 


t 


F:!f 

■Mi 


;.< 


liil'  H: 


-A-  '■  -- 


y\.. 


%\ 


188     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

He  was  a  great  man  for  display — he'd  proba- 
bly learned  that  in  the  court  of  Louis — and 
he  didn't  like  the  idea  of  a  lieutenant-gen- 
eral of  the  king  of  France  being  compelled 
to  lie  on  the  bottom  of  a  birch  canoe  wl^en 
he  visited  the  various  parts  of  his  domain, 
but  for  a  time  he  couldn't  help  himself." 

*'Not  if  he  was  m  a  birch-bark  canoe," 
suggested  Ben,  feelingly. 

Bob  laughed  as  he  continued :  "  King 
Louis,  as  you  know,  was  a  great  believer  in 
the  divine  right  of  kings.  He  had  been 
working  hard  to  get  everything  into  his 
own  hands  so  that  his  word  was  law.  He 
and  Colbert  wanted  the  same  thing  done  in 
New  France,  but  Frontenac  wasn't  a  great 
enthusiast  over  that  thing,  and  as  the  king 
was  more  than  three  thousand  miles  away, 
and  it  took  months  for  word  to  be  sent,  he 
made  up  his  mind  he'd  go  ahead  on  his  own 
responsibility,  and  go  ahead  he  did.   . 

"  The  very  first  thing  the  people  of  Que- 
bec knew,  not  to  go  into  all  the  details  of 
the  thing,  F  ^ntenac  had  established  there 
the  three  orders  of  the  state,  —  the  clergy, 
nobles,  and  commons.  Of  course,  though 
he  wasn't  a  very  strong  believer  in  every- 
thing being  put  in  the  power  of  one  man, 


I 


I 


FRONTENAC. 


139 


>» 


at  least  as  far  as  the  king  was  concerned, 
he  didn't  object  to  it  so  much  when  it  was 
Count  Frontenac  who  was  in  control.  He 
was  as  sure  he  was  right  as  Jed  here  was 
that  it  wasn't  going  to  rain  this  morning." 

"  He  must  'a'  been  sure,"  muttered  Ethan, 
with  a  grin,  but  Jed  could  not  be  induced 
to  break  his  silence. 

"  Of  course,"  resumed  Bob,  "  he  didn't 
have  much  trouble  in  making  up  the  first 
order,  for  the  Jesuits  and  priests  provided 
that.  The  second  order  was  more  difficult, 
but  there  were  three  or  four  men  of  some 
rank  at  Quebec,  and  Frontenac  filled  up  the 
list  with  some  of  his  own  officers,  though 
he  didn't  have  much  more  than  a  small 
body-guard  then.  The  third  class  was  com- 
posed of  the  merchants  and  traders,  and 
after  all  had  been  arranged  the  count  had 
a  great  assembly  in  a  church  which  the 
Jesuits  lent  him.  You  see  they  were  glad 
to  put  him  under  obligations  to  them,  and 
thought  they  would  surely  be  able  to 
manage  him  as  they  had  all  the  others  be- 
fore him.  But  this  time  they  reckoned 
without  their  host,  for  Frontenac  wasn't 
exactly  the  kind  of  a  man  to  be  managed 
by  anybody,  not  even  by  Louis  the  king 


^ 


140    HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

and  Colbert.  However,  he  delivered  an 
address  before  the  great  assembly  in  the 
church  and  praised  Louis  to  the  skies.  You 
see,  along  with  his  other  accomplishments 
Frontenac  was  a  fine  writer  and  a  magnifi- 
cent orator,  and  just  as  soon  as  he  began  to 
speak  he  had  all  the  people  with  him, 
though  as  a  matter  of  fact  he  was  talking 
as  much  to  the  rulers  of  far-away  France 
as  he  was  to  his  audience  in  Quebec. 

"  Soon  after  he  reorganized  the  city  gov- 
ernment of  Quebec  and  so  fixed  it  that  after 
all  he  kept  the  reins  pretty  well  in  his  own 
hands.  He  was  a  hard  man,  that  Fron- 
tenac, to  go  ahead  w^th  all  this;  but  he 
didn't  meet  with  very  much  opposition  in 
the  city,  though  Colbert  vv^rote  him  a  very 
polite  little  note  when  he  heard  of  what 
was  going  on ;  and  if  the  count  had  been  a 
little  more  tractable,  he  might  have  read 
between  the  lines  and  saved  himself  the 
mortification  which  came  by  putting  an  end 
to  his  schemes  of  government  instead  of 
having  the  king  do  it  as  he  did. 

"  Already  the  opposition  and  the  work 
of  the  Jesuits  were  beginning  to  tell,  and 
as  they  had  means  of  knowing  what  was 
going  on  inside   the   inner   circles  of  the 


^ 


FRONTENAC. 


141 


nd 
of 


he 


court  of  Louis,  as  woll  as  in  the  New  World, 
they  had  Frontenao  at  a  disadvantage.  He 
wasn't  for  yielding  one  bit,  however,  and 
wrote  the  king  that  the  Jesuits  were  really 
ruling  everybody  and  everything ;  but  that 
only  seemed  to  increase  their  anger  and 
didn't  help  Frontenac  a  bit.  Some  of  the 
Jesuit  missionaries  were  undoubtedly  good 
men,  but  the  count  wouldn't  ever  ".dmit 
that  much.  One  writer  here  said  that 
whenever  the  Indians  came  into  contact 
^s^ith  the  white  men,  they  at  once  adopted 
their  vices  and  ignored  their  virtues,  which 
was  in  a  measure  true.  But  Frontenac 
knew  that  Louis  was  very  desirous  of  help- 
ing the  Indians,  and  wanted  them  to  become 
civilized  and  a  part  of  his  people.  This 
was  v,'hat  Frontenac  himself  desired,  but  at 
first  he  knew  no  more  of  the  Indians  than 
did  Louis.  The  count  at  one  time  induced 
the  Iroquois  to  place  four  of  their  boys  and 
four  of  their  girls  in  his  care,  and  he  in 
turn  put  the  children  in  the  schools  at  Que- 
bec ;  but  the  Jesuits  strongly  opposed  him, 
so  that  he  declared  that  instead  of  helping 
the  savages,  they  were  more  desirous  of 
simply  bringing  them  into  bondage  and 
cared  more  for  their  furs  than  they  did  for 


I 


l\ 


142     noUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LA  WHENCE. 


k  i 


i  i" 


U 


t  : 


il- 


5 

^1: 


It 


]» 


IP: 


il 


their  souls.  Of  course  the  Jesuits  retorted 
in  kind,  and  loudly  affirmed  that  Frontenac 
himself  was  not  averse  to  receiving  the  furs 
the  red  men  brought,  taking  them  at  a 
small  price  and  disposing  of  them  for  sums 
that  never  seemed  to  be  able  to  get  beyond 
the  pockets  of  the  lieutenant-general  him- 
self. In  all  probability  there  was  some 
truth  in  the  charges  on  both  sides,  for  when 
men  become  angry,  they  are  very  apt  to  tell 
things  just  as  they  are." 

"  Except  when  they  get  to  talkin'  about 
who  Sim  Fox's  ma  was,"  interrupted  Ethan ; 
"then  they  sometimes  stretches  the  truth 
an'  talk  about  Thorns  when  they  mean 
Coateses.  Fve  seen  such  folks  myself,  time 
an'  again." 

Without  heeding  the  interruption.  Bob 
speedily  continued :  "  Frontenac  was  hold- 
ing his  own  in  Quebec  remarkably  well, 
however,  and  he  soon  learned  that  his  real 
troubles  lay  in  the  regions  beyond.  His 
predecessor  in  office,  Courcelle,  had  re^ 
ommended  the  building  of  a  fort  near  the 
outlet  of  Lake  Ontario.  A  fort  there,  he 
claimed,  would  keep  the  Iroquois  silent; 
for  they  had  been  becoming  more  and  more 
troublesome  of  late,  and  it  would  also  be  a 


FRONTENAC. 


143 


re 
a 


help  and  protection  to  the  fur  traders  who 
would  sometimes  go  as  far  as  the  upper 
lakes  in  their  expeditions.  Frontenac  at 
once  approved  of  the  plan,  and  found  a 
youiig  man  after  his  own  heart  —  Cavalier 
de  la  Salle  —  to  help  him. 

"  This  made  the  fur  traders  and  the 
Jesuits  —  Frontenac  said  they  were  one  and 
the  same  thing  —  simply  furious.  They 
claimed  that  the  count  was  just  fixing  mat- 
ters so  that  he  himself  could  control  the 
whole  trade.  Well,  as  it  had  been  in  their 
hands  for  some  time,  and  they  had  monopo- 
lized it,  naturally  they  didn't  like  the  idea 
of  being  driven  out  of  business." 

*'  Then  they  had  trusts  and  monopolies, 
even  in  those  days,"  said  Jock. 

"  It  seems  so.  Well,  on  his  way  up  to 
the  lake,  Frontenac  stopped  off  at  Montreal. 
You  see  Montreal  was  a  hundred  and  eighty 
miles  from  Quebec  in  those  days  —  " 

"  How  far  is  it  now  ? "  inquired  Bert, 
solemnly. 

"That's  jest  abeout  what  it  is  neow," 
replied  Jed,  quickly.  "  I  went  deown  there 
once  myself." 

"  On  your  way  to  Madison  County  ? " 
inquired  Bert. 


HTI' 


I 


II 


I 


mi 


\-\- 


I! 


Ill 


-'I    m 

ill 


iPli 


144    HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAIVRENCE. 

"Naw,  naw.  Mad'son  County  is  'way 
off  in  t'other  direction.  It's  'way  down 
b'low  Uticy.  Ye  have  to  change  cars 
twice." 

^'As  I  was  saying,"  began  Bob  again, 
quickly,  "  Frontenac  found  a  great  stats  of 
affairs  at  Montreal,  and  as  he  never  could 
see  an  opening  for  a  squabble  without  go- 
ing in  himself,  he  soon  was  having  a  great 
time.  Indeed,  it  was  at  Montreal  that  the 
first  of  his  exciting  experiences  began,  and 
from  that  time  on  Frontenac's  life  reads 
almost  like  a  novel." 

^'  It's  'most  dinner  time  neow,"  suggested 
Ethan. 

"  I'll  stop,"  replied  Bob,  promptly. 

"  It  seems  strange  to  think  of  what  was 
done  along  the  river  so  many  years  ago," 
said  Jock,  thoughtfully.  "  I  suppose  it  was 
a  part  of  the  life  here  thei*  but  it  doesn't 
seem  much  like  that  which    /e  see  now." 

"You  ought  to  see  that,  too,"  replied 
Bob.  "  Every  one  ought  to  know  something 
about  the  history  of  his  own  country." 
And  leading  the  way,  he  departed  from  the 
deck  to  enable  the  boatmen  to  prepare 
their  dinner. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


A   PERILOUS    \  ENTURE. 


By  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the  rain 
had  ceased  falling,  but  the  sport  of  the 
morning  could  not  be  resumed,  both  boat- 
men agreeing  that  the  fish  would  leave  the 
shoals  for  the  deeper  water. 

"They  'm.ost  always  does  that,"  Ethan 
explained  in  reply  to  a  question  of  Ben. 
"  No,  I  don't  think  it's  because  they  mind 
the  rain,  for  that  wouldn't  seem  natural- 
like. It's  'most  likely  because  the  river 
gets  all  stirred  up,  an'  they  want  to  be 
where  it's  safe,  for  bass  like  to  have  an 
anchor  to  wiiidward  same  as  folks  do ;  and 
minnows,"  he  added  as  an  anti-climax. 

Bob  offered  to  resume  his  story  of  Fronte- 
nac,  but  though  his  friends  expressed  their 
interest  in  the  old  hero,  still  it  was  decided 
that  one  lecture  a  day  would  be  sufficient, 
and  that  other  means  of  passing  the  time 
must   be  found.     Accordingly,  books   and 

L  146 


n 


i 


n 


.  .  M' 


ii 


1!:'  i; .  ■ 

fc  ii  ; : 


146     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST,  LAWRENCE. 

games  were  produced,  and  for  an  hour  or 
two  sufficed  to  interest  the  campers ;  but 
even  these  failed  to  satisfy  the  demands 
after  a  time. 

"  I'm  going  to  try  a  mutton-leg  in  one 
of  those  skiffs,"  declared  Ben,  when  he  could 
endure  the  tediousness  no  longer.  "  Will 
you  go  with  me,  Bert  ?  " 

"  I  will  that,"  replied  Bert,  eagerly. 

"  It's  a  putty  stiff  breeze  for  a  green- 
horn to  be  sailin'  in,"  remarked  Ethan, 
dubiously. 

"Yes,  an'  it's  my  'pinion  as  heow  the  wind 
is  goin'  to  be  stronger  still  afore  night," 
said  Jed,  whose  confidence  and  spirits  had 
by  this  time  returned. 

"  I  don't  b'lieve  it's  goin'  to  blow  much," 
retorted  Ethan.  "If  you  boys'll  promise 
to  stick  close  to  this  part  o'  the  country,  an' 
not  go  beyond  the  sight  o'  the  heouse-boat, 
I  guess  ye  won't  get  no  harm." 

Eager  to  seize  the  desired  permission 
before  it  could  be  revoked,  though  all  the 
boys  felt  that  Ethan  had  spoken  more  con- 
fidently than  he  really  had  believed  in  his 
instantaneous  opposition  to  the  expressed 
opinion  of  his  rival,  Ben  ran  to  one  of  the 
skiffs  and  in  a  few  minutes  had  the  mast  in 


A  PERILOUS   VENTURE. 


147 


its  place  and  the  little  sail  with  a  big  reef 
in  it  ready  for  use. 

"  Come  on,  Bert !  "  called  Ben,  gleefully; 
"  we'll  have  a  spin  over  the  river." 

"  He  means  a  spill  more  likely,"  growled 
Jed.  "'Ti^'t  fit  for  the  boys  to  be  out, 
for  it'll  1  a  gale  afore  long,  as  sure's 
you're  born." 

No  heed  was  given  the  croakings  of  Jed, 
so  eager  were  the  boys  to  start,  and  so  the 
evident  anxiety  of  Ethan  was  also  over- 
looked. The  elder  boatman,  however,  re- 
mained silent,  though  he  had  tho  other  skiff 
equipped  and  made  ready  for  instant  use, 
should  occasion  demand  it,  and  in  a  mo- 
ment Bert  and  Ben  were  off. 

As  soon  as  the  little  sail  was  hoisted  the 
wind  filled  it,  and  the  skiff  went  skimming 
over  the  ater  as  swift  as  a  race-horse. 
Ben  was  seated  in  the  stern,  using  an  oar 
io  a  rudder,  and  Bert  with  his  seat  on  the 
rail  responded  to  the  demands  of  his  com- 
panion, and  by  frequently  changing  his  seat 
managed  to  aid  in  trimming  the  sail. 

Ben  was  mindful  of  his  promise  to  Ethan 
and  did  not  venture  beyond  the  sight  of 
the  house-boat,  which  he  greeted  with  a 
cheer  when  he  passed  it.     The  skiff  almost 


'I; 


148     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

seemed  to  be  endowed  with  life  and  to 
share  in  the  delight  of  the  boys.  Up  and 
down  and  back  and  forth  it  passed,  Ben 
handling  his  oar  skilfully  all  the  time,  and 
carefully  avoiding  the  shore.  The  sight 
served  to  arouse  both  Jock  and  Bob,  who 
from  the  deck  of  the  house-boat  were  watch- 
ing their  friends,  and  at  last  Jock  could 
contain  himself  no  longer. 

"  I  say,  Ethan,"  he  exclaimed,  "  why 
can't  Bob  and  I  take  the  other  skiff  and  go 
over  for  our  mail  ?  We  must  have  a  bag- 
ful by  this  time." 

"  It'll  keep,"  replied  Ethan,  shortly. 

"  Yes,  but  we  don't  want  to  overload 
their  bandbox  of  a  post-ofRce.  Just  see 
that,  will  you ! "  he  exclaimed,  as  Ben  came 
about,  and  the  canoe  apparently  almost  on 
its  side  sped  forward  with  increased  speed. 
"  Do  you  expect  us  to  stand  here  quiet  as 
mummies  when  the  other  fellows  are  hav- 
ing such  sport  as  that?  Ethan,  I  just  know 
I've  got  a  letter  at  the  office,  and  I  must 
have  it.  Besides,  there  may  be  a  check 
in  it. 

"Can't  help  it,  ye  can't  take  the  only 
skiff  left  here." 

"  There's    the    canoe,"    suggested    Bob, 


A  PERILOUS   VENTURE. 


149 


it 


pointing  as  he  spoke  to  Ben's  pride,  which 
was  lying  on  the  bank  near  by. 

"  I'd  as  soon  have  a  chip,"  snorted  Ethan. 
"No,  sir.  Ye  don't  go  eout  in  this  skiff 
afore  the  other  boys  come  back." 

"All  right,  we'll  go  then,"  said  Bob, 
quickly ;  and,  stepping  forw  ard  to  the  edge 
of  the  deck,  he  shouted  to  his  companions, 
who  were  now  rapidly  approaching.  "  Hello, 
Ben  !  "  he  called,  "  come  in  here  !  " 

A  shout  from  the  passing  skiff  came  back 
on  the  wind,  and  in  a  brief  time  Ben  had 
headed  his  boat  for  the  shore.  As  he  came 
close  in  he  shouted,  "  What's  wrong  ?  " 

"Nothing  is  wrong,  except  that  you've 
been  gone  too  long.  Jock  and  I  want  a 
turn  now." 

"There's  the  other  skiff,"  suggested 
Bert,  who  was  in  no  mind  to  give  up  the 
sport  he  was  having;  "use  that." 

"  Ethan  won't  let  us,"  replied  Bob.  "  He 
wants  one  skiff  left  here  so  that  he  can  use 
it  in  case  anything  goes  wrong  with  the 
other.  Come  in  now,  and  do  your  duty. 
It's  wicked  to  be  selfish  in  this  cold,  cold 
world,  and  keep  all  the  fun  to  yourselves." 

In  a  brief  time  the  skiff  was  successfully 
landed,  and,  as  Jock  and  Bob  prepared  to 


160     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST,   LAWRENCE. 


m 


t  = 


take  their  places  in  it,  Jed  called  out :  "  I 
wouldn't  try  to  go  over  to  the  poslroffice 
if  I  was  in  your  place,  boys.  The  wind  is 
a  goin*  to  blow  stiffer'n  it  is  neow.  Better 
take  my  advice,  and  wait  till  to-morrow." 

Jock  hesitated  a  moment,  and  glanced 
at  Ethan  before  he  replied.  Neither  he 
nor  Bob  had  any  desire  to  incur  unneces- 
sary risks,  though  the  temptation  to  go 
was  almost  irresistibly  strong. 

"  I  know  what  I'm  talkin'  about,"  re- 
peated Jed.  "  Ye'd  better  not  go.  Jest 
stay  around  camp  this  afternoon,  an'  go 
fer  yer  mail  to-morrow." 

Jed's  declaration  settled  the  matter,  for 
Ethan,  though  it  was  against  his  better 
judgment,  was  not  to  be  advised  by  his 
rival.  "  If  ye  go,  boys,  ye'll  have  to  row 
back.  The  wind' 11  take  ye  over  all  right, 
but  com  in'  back  ye'll  have  to  row,"  he 
said. 

"That  will  be  all  right,  if  that's  all," 
responded  Jock,  gleefully.  "It'll  be  great 
fun  to  have  a  chance  to  use  our  muscles, 
for  we've  been  shut  in  all  day." 

In  a  moment  the  little  sail  was  hoisted, 
and  the  skiff  started  smoothly  on  its  way. 
Jed  turned  sharply  about,  and,  in  evident 


A  PERILOUS   VENTURE. 


151 


disgust,  retired  into  the  house-boat.  Ethan 
and  the  two  lads  left  behind  remained 
standing  on  the  deck,  all  feeling  more 
anxiety  than  they  cared  to  express  as  they 
watched  the  swiftly  disappearing  skiff. 
They  could  see  that  it  had  already  sliipped 
considerable  water,  for  the  actions  of  the 
boys,  as  well  as  the  careering  of  the  boat, 
clearly  disclosed  that.  In  a  brief  time, 
however,  the  skiff  disappeared  around  the 
projecting  point  of  the  island  opposite, 
and  when  it  could  no  longer  be  seen  all 
three  of  the  watchers  retired  from  the 
deck. 

Meanwhile,  in  the  swiftly  departing  skiff 
tliere  was  a  silence  as  intense  as  it  was  elo- 
quent. Neither  of  the  boys  had  fully  real- 
ized what  it  meant  to  be  out  on  the  river 
in  such  a  wind,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that 
both  heartily  wished  themselves  back  in  the 
shelter  of  the  house-boat. 

Still,  as  neither  expressed  his  fears,  the 
other  did  not  know  of  his  companion's  feel- 
ing, and  each,  thinking  that  the  other  was 
fearless,  doggedly  held  to  his  task.  Again 
and  again  the  skiff  shipped  water,  but  Bob, 
who  was  steering,  was  careful  and  cautious, 
so  as  yet  they  had  not  suffered  any  harm 


4? 


1: 


u 


1^  !i;:  ! 


152    HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

greater  than  a  good  wetting.  The  wind 
was  with  them,  and  so  swiftly  were  they 
driven  onward  that  almost  before  they  were- 
aware  of  it  they  had  entered  within  the 
sheltered  bay,  and  soon  afterward  landed 
at  the  dock. 

As  they  stepped  ashore,  Jock  whistled  as 
he  said :  "  That's  what  you  may  call  run- 
ning before  the  wind.  I  wonder  at  Ethan's 
letting  us  come.  I  shouldn't,  if  I  had  been 
in  his  place." 

There  was  no  one  on  the  dock  besides 
themselves  at  the  time,  and  so  their  ap- 
proach had  been  unnoticed  by  the  people 
in  the  large  hotel  near  by.  Rejoicing  for 
once  that  they  were  unseen  by  others,  the 
boys  turned  to  walk  up  the  broad  pathway 
toward  the  hotel,  where  they  expected  to 
find  their  mail  awaiting  them. 

"It  isn't  just  fair  to  blame  Ethan  for 
what  we  did,"  said  Bob.  "  If  I  remember 
aright,  we  rather  forced  the  matter  our- 
selves. Jock,  do  you  want  to  try  to  go 
back?  We  can  stay  here  over  night  and 
go  back  in  the  morning." 

"I'd  agree  to  that  in  a  minute  if  it 
wasn't  for  Ethan  and  the  fellows.  They 
would  be  worrying  about  us,  and  might  set 


A   PERILOUS   VENTURE. 


163 


out  io  find  us.  I  haven't  forgotten  about 
the  scare  Ben  gave  us  last  summer." 

''  Nor  I,"  replied  Bob.  "  Perhaps  we 
had  better  try  it.  If  we  can't  make  it,  we 
can  put  back  if  we  have  to." 

Bob  tried  to  speak  confidently,  but  the 
fear  in  his  heart  was  great.  They  had 
promised  Ailthan  that  they  would  not  use 
the  sail  on  their  return,  and  Bob  felt  that 
the  promise  was  secure  enough,  for  the 
wind  would  be  dead  against  them,  and 
he  had  not  sufficient  confidence  in  his  own 
ability  as  a  sailor  to  attempt  to  make  his 
way  by  sailing  against  it.  They  must  use 
their  oars,  and  as  he  thought  of  the  con- 
test awaiting  them,  his  anxiety  increased. 
For  his  own  part,  he  decidedly  preferred  to 
remain  at  the  hotel  for  the  night;  but  as 
Jock  seemed  to  prefer  making  an  attempt, 
at  least,  to  go  back  to  their  companions,  he 
offered  no  further  objections. 

As  soon  as  they  had  received  their  letters, 
and  there  were  many  of  these  for  the  camp, 
they  returned  to  the  dock,  and  after  bail- 
ing out  their  skiff  at  once  prepared  to  re- 
turn. There  was  only  one  pair  of  oars, 
and  the  boys  agreed  to  take  turns  in  row- 
ing. Bob  being  the  first  to  use  them.     Jock 


1  ■ 


154     IJOUSE-JiOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

took  his  seat  in  the  stern,  and  Boh,  after 
casting  off,  quickly  seated  himself  and  began 
to  row. 

"  This  is  easier  than  I  thought  it  would 
be,"  he  said,  as  the  skiff  swept  out  into  the 
river. 

Jock  made  no  reply,  for  he  was  well 
aware  that  the  real  test  had  not  yet  come. 
They  were  still  sheltered,  to  an  extent,  by 
the  surrounding  islands ;  but  when  they 
passed  out  into  the  waters  of  Eel  Bay, 
they  would  feel  the     ill  force  of  the  wind. 

His  fears  were  fulfilled  a  few  moments 
afterward  when  they  passed  the  last  of 
the  intervening  islands.  The  waves  were 
high  here,  and  the  light  skiff  rose  and  fell, 
as  it  might  have  done  on  the  ocean,  and 
once  or  twice  was  almost  caught  in  the 
trough  of  the  sea.  The  white  caps  were 
visible  on  every  side,  and  the  wind  drove 
the  spray  upon  them  so  that  they  were 
soon  drenched. 

Jock  insisted  upon  taking  his  turn  at  the 
oars,  and  succeeded  in  changing  places  with 
Bob,  although  the  boat  was  nearly  swamped 
in  the  attempt.  For  a  time  he  succeeded 
in  making  some  headway,  for  Bob's  last 
efforts  had  shown  that  he  had  used  up  the 


A  PERILOUS   VENTURE. 


156 


id 


most  of  his  strength,  but  soon  Jock,  too, 
was  almost  exhausted.  Then  the  plan  of 
each  boy  ushig  one  oar  was  tried,  and  this, 
too,  for  a  brief  interval  served  to  send  the 
skiff  forward.  The  sun  was  now  low  in 
the  western  sky,  and  the  appearance  of  the 
clouds  might  have  increased  the  anxiety  of 
the  rowers  had  they  noted  it,  but  both 
were  too  much  engaged  in  their  occupation 
to  heed  other  matters.  Bob's  hat  had  been 
lost,  and  Jock's  face  betrayed  his  alarm. 
They  pulled  and  pulled  desperately.  The 
skiff  rolled  and  tossed,  and  the  water  that 
was  shipped  visibly  increased.  It  was  now 
apparently  a  struggle  for  life.  They  had 
almost  ceased  to  mark  the  distant  shores. 
The  wind  was  howling,  and  the  waves 
were  becoming  still  more  boisterous.  Labor 
and  struggle  as  the  boys  might,  it  seemed 
as  if  no  progress  could  be  made ;  and  when 
suddenly  Jock  lost  his  oar,  and  almost  fell 
overboard  in  his  attempt  to  regain  it,  a 
groan  escaped  from  both. 

Bob  now  used  the  remaining  oar  as  a 
rudder,  and,  after  successfully  turning  the 
skiff  about,  started  for  the  nearest  shore, 
unmindful  of  all  things  save  of  finding  a 
place  of  shelter. 


/     11. 


f;   f 


156     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

Swiftly  the  boat  sped  on  before  the  gale, 
and  when  it  came  near  the  shore,  in  his 
attempt  to  land,  the  boys  were  almost 
thrown  into  the  water.  In  his  confusion, 
Jock  leaped  overboard,  the  water  coming 
only  to  his  waist,  and  in  Bob's  attempt  to 
follow  him,  he  lost  his  hold  upon  the 
painter,  and  in  a  moment  the  wind  had 
swept  the  boat  out  into  the  river  beyond 
their  reach. 

Wet,  and  almost  exhausted,  they  had 
succeeded  in  gaining  the  shore,  but  their 
skiff  was  gone,  and  all  that  remained  was 
the  one  oar  which  the  disconsolate  Bob  was 
still  holding  in  his  hands. 


-f- 


^ 


UK    SKiri'    I  l,(>.VTi;i»    WITH    TIIK    CIIKKKNT    ItKVoM)    HIS    (iU.VSlV 


I'asio  1") 


fi      i 


^  1' 


CHAPTER   XIII. 


AN   ALARM. 


The  sun  had  long  since  disappeared  from 
sight,  and  night  had  settled  over  the  river, 
but  there  was  still  sufficient  light  to  enable 
the  two  boys  to  see  the  expression  upon 
the  other's  face.  For  a  moment  neither 
spoke,  and  then,  recalled  by  the  sight  of  the 
drifting  skiff,  Bob  made  a  rush  toward  a 
projecting  point  near  \  hich  it  was  evident 
the  boat  would  pass  in  its  course. 

In  spite  of  all  his  efforts,  however,  the 
skiff  floated  with  the  current  beyond  his 
grasp,  and  though  he  waded  into  the  water 
until  it  came  well  up  to  his  shoulders  and 
endeavored  to  reach  the  boat  with  the  one 
remaining  oar,  he  was  unable  t(>  secure  it. 

Convinced  that  the  skiff  was  lost.  Bob 
returned  to  the  shore  and  said  to  Jock,  who 
had  now  approached,  *'  We're  in  for  a  night 
of  it,  Jock.  The  boat's  gone  for  good  and 
all." 

167 


^ 


f 


II  i| 

1  i 

i. 

fl  ■■^i 

9! 

i   ■! 


fti 


158     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

"  Well,  we're  here,  Bob,  and  that  is  some- 
thing to  be  thankful  for.  A  few  minutes 
ago  it  didn't  seem  as  if  we'd  ever  set  foot 
on  shore  again." 

"  That'p  the  way  to  look  at  it,  I  suppose ; 
but  somehow  I  can't  seem  to  get  up  a  bit 
of  enthusiasm.  Here  we  are  cast  away  on 
a  desert  island,  wet  to  our  skins,  with  every 
match  soaked,  and  not  a  place  where  we 
can  lay  our  heads  Robinson  Crusoe  had  a 
picnic  compared  with  us." 

'^  Never  mind,  Bob,  I'd  rather  be  here 
than  where  we  were,  anyway.  Now  what 
we've  got  to  think  out  is  whether  we're 
going  to  stay  here  or  not." 

"  I  don't  believe  our  thinking  will  have 
much  to  do  with  that,  for  I  fancy  we'll 
stay  just  the  same,  no  matter  how  much  we 
exert  our  massive  intellects.  I've  heard  of 
a  flight  of  the  imagination,  but  I  never 
knew  a  man  to  cross  the  St.  Lawrence 
on  his  brains.  It's  a  rather  unsubstantial 
foothold,  in  my  opinion." 

Across  the  water  they  could  see  the 
flickering  lights  in  some  of  the  cottages 
and  summer  camps.  How  near  they 
seemed,  and  yet,  though  some  of  them  were 
not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away, 


AN  ALARM. 


159 


y 

re 


they  might  as  well  have  been  on  the  other 
side  of  the  globe,  as  far  as  any  assistance 
they  could  render  our  boys  was  concerned. 
To  make  matters  still  worse,  it  was  evident 
that  the  wind  was  increasing,  and  the  noise 
of  the  waters,  combined  with  the  whistling 
of  the  wind,  seemed  to  aggravate  the  per- 
plexity of  their  position. 

"  Bob,"  said  Jock,  at  last,  "  don't  you 
think  we  might  be  able  to  make  the  people 
off  there  to  our  left  hear  us  if  we  yelled 
together?  I  don't  think  the  light  is  so 
very  far  away." 

"  *  So  near  and  yet  so  far,' "  said  Bob. 
"  We  can  try  it,  anyway." 

Together  the  boys  raised  a  shout,  that 
under  ordinary  circumstances  would  have 
been  heard  in  the  near-by  camp ;  but  the 
roar  of  the  wind  and  rain  together  carried 
the  cry  far  away,  and  after  repeating  their 
efforts  several  times,  they  gave  up  the 
attempt. 

"What  next?"  inquired  Jock,  discon- 
solately. 

''Let's  take  a  run  around  the  island," 
suggested  Bob.  "  As  we  haven't  any 
matches,  and  nothing  to  make  a  fire  of, 
we'll  have  to  start  the  internal  fires  or  we'll 


M  \ 


11 


ill 


ili] 


160     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

have  icicles  clinging  to  our  benighted 
frames  if  we  don't  look  out.  Come  on,  I'll 
lead  the  way." 

With  his  oar  still  held  in  his  hands,  Bob 
started  along  the  shore,  and  Jock  followed 
obediently.  Running  slowly  they  felt  the 
warmth  which  came  as  the  result  of  their 
exertions,  but  thev  soon  were  aware  of 
the  fact,  of  which  Bob  at  least  had  been 
anprehensive,  that  the  island  was  a  small 
one,  and  that  there  was  not  a  house  or  a 
building  of  any  kind  upon  it.  In  a  brief 
time,  they  had  completed  the  circuit  of 
the  shore,  and  returned  to  the  place  from 
which  they  had  set  forth. 

"  If  we  could  only  find  a  man  Friday," 
suggested  Jock,  striving  to  keep  up  his 
spirits,  "  we'd  be  all  right." 

^^  It'll  be  Friday  before  we  find  a  man,  if 
that's  what  you  mean,"  replied  Bob.  "  Now, 
Jock,  have  you  any  suggestions  to  make  ?  " 

"  Lots  of  them,  but  I'm  afraid  they're 
not  very  practical." 

"  Keep  your  theories,  then.  What  we 
want  now,  is  to  find  out  some  way  to  get 
dry.  and  where  we  can  stay  till  morning, 
for  I  haven't  any  idea  we'll  ieav>^  th?g 
island   before   to-morruw." 


14 


^.V  ALARM. 


161 


re 
it 


•^  The  bank  seemed  to  be  a  little  higher 
on  the  other  side,"  suggested  Jock.  "  We 
might  go  around  there  again  and  see  if  we 
can't  get  out  of  the  wind.  That'll  be  one 
step,  anyway,  in  the  right  direction." 

"  I  feel  that  i'm  becoming  eloquent,"  said 
Bob.  ^'  The  fine  frenzy  is  upon  me,  Jock. 
Look  out  now.     Here  it  comes :  — 

"'Tell  me,  ye  winged  winds,  that  round  my  pathway 
roar, 
Is  there  no  spot  —  no  quiet  spot  —  where  mortals 
weep  no  more  ?  ' 

I'm  not  just  sure  that  they  are  the  exact 
words,  but  that's  the  sentiment  of  the  thing. 
*  Winged  winds,'  and  '  rtjar '  and  '  more '  are 
all  right,  and  1  wish  to  inquire  whether  you 
ever  heard  a  more  appropriate  harangue  in 
all  your  mortal  life,  my  boy  ? " 

"There's  no  poetry  left  in  me,"  said  Jock, 
nevertheless  laughing  at  the  words  of  his 
friend.  "  I'm  a  good  deal  more  anxious  to 
find  a  shelter  than  I  am  to  stand  up  here 
howling  at  the  wind.  Come  on,  Bob,  let's 
go  around  to  the  place  I  mentioned." 

''  I'm  your  most  obedient  servant,"  re- 
plied Bob,  as  together  the  boys  started 
across  the  land  toward  the  spot  to  which 
Jock  had  referred. 


^%f 


il 


n 


162     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

There  were  but  few  trees  on  the  island, 
and  these  had  been  so  whipped  and  beaten 
by  the  winter  winds  that  they  could  afford 
no  protection  to  the  boys.  Bob  still  carried 
his  oar, — a  token  of  former  days,  he  declared 
it  to  be, —  though  to  what  use  he  expected 
to  put  it  he  himself  could  not  have  explained. 
He  was  endeavoring  now  to  keep  up  his 
own  spirits  as  well  as  those  of  his  compan- 
ion, and  so  kept  up  a  running  comment 
upon  the  experiences  of  the  night,  striving 
to  belittle  them  all  and  confidently  assert- 
ing that  before  the  time  for  breakfast  came 
they  would  be  back  with  their  recent  com- 
rades in  the  house-boat. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  bank  to  which 
Jock  had  referred,  they  discovered  that  un- 
der its  shelter  they  could  escape  the  force 
of  the  wind.  The  shore  was  sandy,  and 
though  wet  from  the  recent  storm,  they 
were  far  more  comfortable  than  they  had 
been  in  the  more  exposed  part  of  the  island. 

"  This  is  fit  for  a  king,"  said  Bob,  lightly, 
as  he  turned  over  a  flat  stone  and  seated 
himself  under  the  lee  of  the  bank,  an  exam- 
ple which  his  companion  speedily  followed. 

"  According  to  your  stories  of  kings,  that 
isn't  saying  very  much,"  said  Jock. 


AN  ALARM. 


163 


"It  depends  upon  yonr  point  of  view. 
Now  there  are  some  poor,  benighted,  soft- 
headed beings  in  onr  land  who  are  ever  try- 
ing to  make  a  saint  out  of  King  Charles. 
Saint  Charles  the  One!  Just  think  of  it, 
Jock." 

"It's  the  unsaintly  St.  Lawrence  I'm 
thinking  more  about,"  responded  Jock. 
"He  served  us  a  mean  trick." 

"What!  to  spare  your  innocent  young 
life  and  cast  you  up  on  this  friendly  shore 
for  the  night?  You're  a  grateful  fellow,  I 
must  say." 

"  The  wind  seems  to  be  going  down," 
suggested  Jock,  not  being  desirous  of  con- 
tinuing the  conversation. 

"Yes,  I  believe  you're  right,"  said  Bob, 
as  he  rose  from  his  seat  and  surveyed  the 
sight  before  him.  "  The  saint  probably 
heard  your  gnuubling,  and  is  pouring  coals 
of  fire  on  your  head." 

"If  he'd  put  them  at  my  feet,  I'd  be  more 
grateful,"  replied  Jock,  who  was  shivering 
with  the  cold.  "  I  think  I'd  like  even  Mrs. 
Ethan's  feather  bed  just  at  the  present 
moment." 

"  Some  people  never  can  be  satisfied. 
First  they  want  to  save  their  unprofitable 


iii' 


^ii 


{ t 


^i! 


'■;iJa 


(-- 


■t- 1"    ,i 


164     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

lives  from  the  fury  of  the  raging  storm,  and 
when  that's  been  done  for  them,  they  even 
cry  for  a  regular  '  live '  geese  feather  bed. 
Now  for  my  part,  I'm  glad  to  be  here. 
This  is  one  of  the  nights  you  read  about, 
and  we'll  remember  it  to  our  dying  day." 

"I  think  we  shall,"  murmured  Jock, 
whose  teeth  were  now  chattering  in  a  man- 
ner that  greatly  distressed  his  more  robust 
friend. 

"I  say,  Jock,'"  said  Bob  at  last,  *'I'm 
cold,  too.     Let's  try  the  lamb  act." 

"  The  lamb  act  ?     What  do  you  mean  ?" 

"  Why,  they  huddle  together  to  keep 
warm  in  a  storm.  I've  even  seen  the  colts 
on  the  farms  over  there  at  the  Corners  get 
close  together  and  turn  their  backs  to  the 
wind.  Now  I'm  cold  and  you  are  colder,  so 
just  move  that  seat  of  yours  up  ii  little 
closer  to  mine  and  perhaps  we'll  be  a  bit 
warmer." 

Jock  did  as  he  was  bidden,  apparently 
not  perceiving  the  motive  in  his  friend's 
heart,  and  soon  with  his  head  against  Bob's 
shoulder  was  asleep. 

He,  of  course,  did  not  know  that  Bob 
removed  his  own  coat  and  wrapped  his 
companion   about   with   it,   nor   that   Bob 


^.Y  ALARM. 


165 


seldom  closed  his  eyes.  He  was  more  anx- 
ious for  Jock  than  he  had  dared  disclose, 
and  well  knew  the  fears  which  would  have 
possessed  his  mother's  heart  had  she  known 
the  plight  of  her  boy.  So  Bob,  strong  and 
rugged  himself,  and  unmindful  of  the  chill 
of  the  night,  watched  over  his  ♦'riend  and 
waited  patiently  for  the  mornmg  light  to 
come. 

When  two  hours  had  elapsed,  the  wind 
had  died  away,  and  soon  after  the  tum- 
bling waters  of  the  river  became  calmer. 
Still  Bob  held  to  his  position,  and  the  ex- 
hausted Jock  slept  on,  his  head  all  the 
time  pillowed  on  the  shoulder  of  the 
sturdy  lad  by  his  side. 

Perhaps  Bob  himself  at  last  became 
drowsy,  or  his  eyes  for  the  iuoment  had 
closed.  At  all  events,  he  suddenly  opened 
them,  and  his  first  thought  was  that  the 
morning  had  come.  There  was  a  light  in 
the  sky,  and  for  a  moment  he  thought  the 
sun  had  risen.  And  yet  the  light  seemed 
unnatural,  and  the  surrounding  darkness 
was  still  intense  in  places.  Then  there 
was  borne  in  upon  his  ears  the  harsh,  dis- 
cordant shrieks  of  the  whistles  of  the  river 
steamers;  but  they  were  not  given  in  the 


i:... 


166     nOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


'n 


1 "'  I 


!     y 


sharp,  short  manner  in  which  they  ordi- 
narily declared  the  approach  of  the  boats, 
for  they  were  long  continued  and  without 
any  intervals. 

Speedily  convinced  that  something  was 
wrong,  Bob  roused  his  sleeping  comrade, 
and  said,  *'  Wake  up,  Jock !  wake  up !  I 
think  the  river's  on  fire  !  " 

^'  Wha-a-t ! "  exclaimed  Jock,  sitting 
quickly  erect  and  staring  stupidly  about  him, 
for  the  moment  unable  to  understand  where 
he  was  or  what  his  friend  had  said. 

*•  Wake  up !  come  on !  "  exclaimed  Bob, 
leaping  to  his  feet  as  he  spoke,  and  starting 
swiftly  across  the  island. 

Jock  was  wide  awake  now,  and  as  he 
started  after  Bob  there  was  no  doubt  as 
to  the  cause  of  the  disturbance.  From 
the  head  of  the  bay  a  great  light  was 
streaming  toward  the  sky,  causing  the 
islands  and  trees  and  cottages  to  assume 
fantastic  shapes.  There  could  be  no  doubt, 
now,  that  some  large  building  was  burning, 
and  both  boys  hastily  concluded  that  it 
must  be  some  hotel  on  fire,  perhaps  the 
very  one  to  which  they  themselves  had  re- 
cently gone  for  their  letters.  The  sugges- 
tion caused  Jock  to   clap  his  hand  upon 


AN  ALARM. 


167 


his  pocket  to  satisfy  himself  that  the  letters 
in  question  worn  still  safe,  though  he  had 
as  yet  been  unable  to  read  them,  and  then 
he  increased  his  speed  to  enable  him  to 
keep  up  with  Bob,  who  was  running  as  if 
he  were  on  the  college  track. 

As  soon  as  they  arrived  at  the  shore, 
they  could  see  that  boats  were  coming 
across  the  water  from  many  directions,  and 
all  were  moving  toward  the  place  from 
which  the  flames  were  rising. 

"  Give  'em  a  hail !  Jock,  give  'em  a  hail ! 
Perhaps  we  can  make  some  one  stop  and 
take  us  on  board." 

The  shout  of  the  boys  was  heard  in  the 
nearest  boat,  and  an  answering  shout  came 
back,  but  the  men  did  not  stop  for  them. 
Perhaps  they  thought  the  cry  was  only  for 
them  to  hasten,  for  at  all  events  they  speed- 
ily disappeared. 

Meanwhile  the  flames  leaped  higher  and 
higher,  and  flying  sparks  and  burning  em- 
bers were  borne  far  out  over  the  river. 
Occasionally  the  far-away  shouts  of  men 
could  be  heard,  and  it  was  evident  that 
from  miles  along  the  St.  Lawrence  the 
people  had  assembled  at  the  place  where 
the  great  fire  was  blazing. 


IP 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


yfi? 


A 


/A 


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1.0 


I.I 


■  50     ™** 


2.5 

j.8 


1:25      1.4 

1.6 

^ 

6" 

^ 

Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

'716)  872-4503 


in 


168     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


i  M 


The  impatience  of  the  two  boys  on  the 
island  was  increasing.  Despite  all  their 
efforts,  they  had  not  succeeded  in  causing 
any  one  to  heed  their  calls.  Skiffs  came 
so  close  to  the  place  where  they  were  stand- 
ing that  they  could  almost  see  the  faces  of 
the  men  on  board,  but  all  passed  and  joined 
the  crowd  that  had  been  summoned  by  the 
fire. 

^' We're  as  badly  off  as  ever,"  said  Jock. 
*'  Can't  we  do  something,  Bob  ?  " 

"  We  can  stay  here ;  that  seems  to  be 
about  all  we  can  do." 

"Hark!  what's  that?"  exclaimed  Jock, 
excitedly. 

From  the  distance  had  come  the  faint 
echo  of  a  great  cry,  as  if  the  assembled 
people  had  been  moved  by  one  impulse,  and 
then  a  silence  had  followed,  long  and  in- 
tense. Something  of  an  unusual  character 
had  occurred,  but  what  it  was  neither  Jock 
nor  Bob  could  conjecture. 


,!  ■i 


I  m 


be 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    boatman's    HEROISM. 

The  passing  skiffs  had  by  this  time  dis- 
appeared from  sight,  and  no  more  came  to 
take  their  places,  for  the  fire  had  now 
drawn  all  the  people  of  the  region  from 
their  homes.  The  impatience  of  the  two 
castaways  found  nothing  to  relieve  it,  and 
at  last  concluding  that  no  help  was  to  be 
had  before  the  blaze  had  either  been  put 
out,  or  the  building  had  burned  to  the 
ground,  they  abandoned  themselves  to  their 
waiting. 

From  time  to  time  the  faint  shouts  of  the 
distant  men  could  be  heard,  and  there  were 
moments  when  showers  of  sparks  rose  upon 
the  night  wind  and  were  borne  far  out  over 
the  river ;  then  the  blaze  would  apparently 
die  down,  though  the  heavy  red  glare  still 
continued. 

Both  Bob  and  Jock  remained  standing 
on  the  shore,  gazing  at  the  glow,  and  bewail- 

169 


'i  "t 


\'l 


170     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

ing  their  own  fate  in  being  compelled  to 
remain  on  the  island.  Their  clothing  was 
still  damp  and  heavy ;  and  as  the  wind 
was  chill,  Bob,  at  last  recalled  to  the  neces- 
sity of  doing  something  themselves,  said 
abruptly :  — 

"  This  will  never  do,  Jock,  you'll  catch 
your  death  cold  here  if  we  don't  do  some- 
thing to  start  up  your  circulation ;  come 
on,  and  we'll  keep  moving,  anyway.  We 
can't  help  put  out  that  fire  over  there, 
whatever  it  is,  but  we  can  keep  up  a  little 
heat  inside.  Somehow,  things  don't  seem 
to  be  very  evenly  divided  in  this  world. 
Over  there,  they're  having  too  much  fire ; 
and  here,  we're  having  too  little.  If  we 
could  only  divide,  we'd  all  of  us  be  better 
off.     Come  on  !  " 

Thus  bidden,  Jock  turned  and  followed 
his  friend,  and  together  up  and  down  the 
shore  they  ran  slowly  until  warmth  had 
returned  and  the  damp  chill  was  gone. 
Meanwhile,  the  far-away  fire  was  evidently 
dying  down.  The  glow  in  the  sky  was 
duller,  and  the  blazing  sparks  and  embers 
were  no  longer  carried  in  the  wind. 
Several  hours  had  slowly  passed,  and  just 
as  the  first  faint    streaks   of    the    dawn 


i% 


THE  BOATMAN'S  HEROISM. 


171 


appeared,  the  boys  perceived  some  of  the 
skiffs  returning.  They  were,  however,  too 
far  av/ay  to  be  hailed,  and  the  prospect  of 
deliverance  appeared  no  brighter.  Suddenly 
Bob  exclaimed,  as  he  perceived  a  skiff  in 
which  four  men  were  seated  coming  nearer 
than  had  any  of  the  others :  "  That's  our 
boat,  Jock.  That's  Ethan  and  Jed  and 
the  boys;  yell  over,  you  freshman,  and 
let's  see  if  we  can't  make  them  hear  us." 

Their  united  shout  was  sent  over  the 
water,  and  it  was  evident,  too,  that  it  had 
been  heard,  for  the  occupants  of  the  boat 
turned  their  heads  and  saw  the  boys  on  the 
shore.  The  skiff  was  not  stopped,  nor  the 
direction  changed,  and  almost  in  despair 
Jock  said :  "  Give  the  college  yell.  Bob. 
Perhaps  that'll  make  them  pay  some  atten- 
tion to  us." 

As  the  college  cry  was  sent  forth,  the 
skiff  was  suddenly  seen  to  stop,  and  a 
moment  afterward  with  increased  speed  it 
was  rapidly  approaching  the  spot  where  the 
boys  were  waiting.  An  answering  shout 
clearly  indicated  that  Bert  and  Ben  were 
on  board,  and  as  the  boat  came  nearer  the 
island,  they  could  both  plainly  be  seen. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  boat  grounded  ; 


fr^ 


i  \ 

i  t 
I ! 


!i 


:^l 


m 


!^l 


^1! 


172     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

and  as  Ben  leaped  ashore,  he  shouted : 
"  This  is  where  you  fellows  were,  is  it  ? 
Well,  I  must  say  you  deserve  to  be  left 
here.  You  don't  know  what  a  scare  you've 
given  us.  Why  didn't  you  come  back  ? 
What  are  you  staying  here  for,  anyway  ?  " 

"  We  didn't  have  very  much  to  say  as  to 
that,"  said  Jock,  soberly.  ^'  It's  a  case  of 
the  office  seeking  the  man,  not  the  man  the 
office,  I  can  assure  you." 

As  Ben  looked  somewhat  bewildered, 
Jock  continued :  *'  You  see,  Ben,  we  lost 
our  boat  last  night,  and  as  this  island 
seemed  to  be  a  better  place  than  any  we 
could  find,  we  put  up  here  for  the  night." 

In  a  few  words  the  story  of  their  mishap 
was  told,  and  when  Jock  ceased,  Ethan 
called  out :  "  Well,  I'm  glad  you're  here, 
boys.  I  was  scared  last  night  the  minute 
ye  started ;  but  these  boys  said  you'd  put  up 
at  the  hotel  when  ye  found  out  what  kind 
of  wind  ye'd  have  to  pull  against,  an'  so 
I  tried  to  be  content.  But  I  haven't  had  a 
minute's  peace  since  ye  loft  the  house-boat ; 
an'  when  ye  didn't  come,  an'  didn't  come, 
I  jest  tried  to  b'lieve  ye'd  done  what  the 
boys  said  you'd  do.  But  when  we  found 
eout  that  the  hotel  was  afire,  I  was  scared 
more'n  ever." 


THE  boatman's  HEROISM. 


173 


?" 


"  Wheat !  was  it  the  hotel  that  burned  ?  " 
inquired  Bob,  quickly. 

"  Ye'd  'a'  thought  so  if  ye'd  been  there. 
Burned  jest  like  tinder,  that's  what  it  did. 
1  expected  o'  course  I'd  find  ye  there,  but 
we  didn't.  No,  sir.  Ye  wasn't  there,"  he 
added  reproachfully. 

"  You  weren't  any  more  sorry  about  it 
than  we  were,"  said  Jock,  soberly. 

"  Well,  we  looked  all  'round  for  ye," 
resumed  Ethan,  *'an'  when  at  last  we 
couldn't  find  hide  nor  hair,  we  started  for 
home,  hopin'  ye'd  got  back  there.  But  ye 
hadn't,  course  ye  hadn't.  Ye  say  your 
skiff's  gone  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Mebbe  we'll  find  it  sometime.  It'll 
drift  deown  the  river  an'  likely  fetch  up 
agin'  some  island  or  other.  Ye  needn't 
give  up  hope  o'  findin'  it,  boys,  leastwise 
yet  awhile." 

^'  I'm  so  glad  to  see  you,  Ethan,  I  don't 
care  anything  about  the  skiff,"  replied  Jock, 
lightly.  "  It's  been  a  great  night  on  the 
old  river,  and  one  we'll  all  of  us  remem- 
ber." 

^'  Likely's  not.  Likely's  not.  Neow 
heow'll  we  get  ye  back  to  the  house-boat  ?  " 


174     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  TliE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


i  ^ 


\]ii   ; 


U 


M  i 


"  We'll     stay     here,"     exclaimed     Ben, 
quickly,  "and  two  of  you  come  back  for 


us. 

It  was  finally  arranged  that  Ben  and 
Bob  should  remain  on  the  island,  and  that 
Jock  should  go  back  with  the  boatmen, 
and  a  brief  time  afterward  the  skiff  disap- 
peared around  one  of  the  projections  of  the 
islands  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay. 

Left  to  themselves,  Ben  began  to  describe 
the  scenes  at  the  fire,  and  at  once  found  an 
interested  listener  in  his  companion. 

"  We  were  frightened.  Bob,  when  you 
didn't  come  back,  as  Ethan  said,  and 
though  we  didn't  say  much,  we  sat  up,  and 
waited  for  you.  It  was  a  terrible  wind, 
and  one  wouldn't  have  believed  that  this 
peaceful  river  could  ever  have  presented 
such  a  sight  as  it  did.  Why,  right  there  in 
the  cove  the  waves  were  driven  in  so  that 
lots  of  them  just  washed  right  across  the 
deck,  and  the  house-boat  rolled  and  pitched 
as  if  it  had  been  out  on  the  ocean.  Jed  and 
Bert  went  up  the  shore  to  watch  for  you, 
and  Ethan  and  I  stayed  there  by  the  boat. 
Two  or  three  times  we  thought  we  heard 
you  calling,  and  once  Ethan  put  out  in  the 
skiff;  but  he  soon  came  back,  for  it  didn't 


THE  BOATMAN  \S  HEROISM. 


175 


the 
led 


he 
I't 


seem  possible  for  any  boat  to  live  in  such 
a  gale  as  was  blowing  then. 

"  We  kept  telling  Ethan  and  Jed  that 
you  wouldn't  try  to  come  back,  but  would 
stay  at  the  hotel  till  morning ;  but  we  were 
talking  as  much  to  keep  up  our  ov/n  cour- 
age as  we  were  to  soothe  Ethan's  troubled 
breast,  and  of  course  we  did  have  a  feel- 
ing that  you  wouldn't  try  to  come  back, 
though  knowing  you  as  we  did,  we  were 
afraid  you'd  try  it. 

"  Well,  we  stood  to  our  places  till  almost 
midnight,  and  every  few  minutes  either 
Jed  or  Bert  would  come  back  to  find  out 
whether  you'd  come  home  or  not.  The 
wind  had  died  away  somewhat,  and  the 
river  was  a  good  deal  calmer  by  that  time ; 
but  still  we  kept  up  our  watch. 

"  Along  about  midnight  we  saw  the  sky 
begin  to  glow,  and  it  wasn't  long  before  we 
knew  there  was  a  big  fire  of  some  kind 
over  this  way.  Ethan  and  Jed  were  almost 
beside  themselves  when  the  fire  was  discov- 
ered, and  for  a  while  we  didn't  know  just 
what  to  do.  We  didn't  want  to  leave  the 
house-boat,  for  fear  that  you  might  come 
back;  but  at  last  we  decided  that  even  if 
3^ou  were  all  right,  and  should  start  at  that 


176     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


time  of  night,  you'd  go  back  when  the  fire 
broke  out,  so  at  last  we  all  decided  to  go 
in  the  skiff,  for  we  were  almost  as  anxious 
to  get  a  sight  of  you  as  we  were  of  the 
fire. 

^^  Almost  ?  "  inquired  Bob,  quizzically. 
''  Oh,  well,  you  know  what  I  mean.  We 
wanted  to  make  sure  that  you  were  safe, 
you  see,  and  so  it  wasn't  much  of  a  trial 
for  us  to  agree  to  go.  That  was  a  terrible 
fire,  though.  Bob.  I've  seen  a  fire  in  the 
city  lots  of  times,  of  course,  but  I  never  saw 
anything  like  that." 

"  Was  it  the  hotel  at  the  Park  ?  " 

"  No ;  it  was  the  little  one  on  the  island 

—  I've  forgotten  the  name  of  it,  but  the 

hotel    almost    covered   the  whole    island. 

There  was  a  little  space  left  on  one  side, 

and  there  was  a  big  tree  there,  as  you  may 

remember,  and  if  it  hadn't  been  for  that  I 

don't   know   what   would  have  happened. 

A  good  many  would  have  been  burned  up, 

and  Jed  wouldn't  have  had  his  chance  to 

cover  himself  with  glory  as  he  did." 

"  Jed  !     Why,  what  did  he  do  ?  " 

"He   covered  himself  with  glory,  as  I 

told   you.     The  hotel  wasn't  much   more 

than  a  fire-trap  —  a  regular  pine  box,  you 


THE  boatman's  HEROISM. 


177 


know.  Well,  some  of  the  boarders  —  and 
it's  lucky  there  weren't  very  many  there, 
I  can  tell  you  —  were  up  in  the  second  and 
third  stories,  and  every  way  of  escape  was 
cut  off.  If  I  live  to  be  as  old  as  Ethan's 
wife's  cousin,  I'll  never  forget  the  sight  of 
those  women  and  children  at  those  win- 
dows. Even  the  crowd  —  and  there  was  a 
crowd,  too,  though  I  haven't  the  slightest 
idea  where  it  came  from,  for  one  wouldn't 
believe  there  were  as  many  people  on  the 
whole  of  the  St.  Lawrence  as  showed  up 
there  —  even  the  crowd  held  its  breath, 
and  some  of  them  kept  calling  out  for 
somebody  to  do  something. 

"A  few  of  the  boarders  had  dropped 
from  the  second  story,  but  there  was  a 
Avoman  and  a  little  child  up  in  one  of  the 
rooms  on  the  third  floor,  and  they  seemed 
to  be  just  paralyzed.  I  thought  one  time 
she  was  going  to  throw  the  child  and  per- 
haps herself  out  of  the  window,  but  she 
didn't.  Well,  as  I  was  telling  you,  there 
was  a  tall  tree  on  that  side  of  the  hotel, 
and  it  came  well  up  to  the  room  where  this 
woman  and  the  child  were,  only  it  was  too 
far  out  for  her  to  jump  into  it,  so  that  it 
might  almost  as  well  have  been  in  Kings- 


1^ 


Hi 


mn 


ifj  ■■ 


mv'  7 


;:>  1  * 


178     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

ton  for  all  the  good  it  did  her.  But  Jed 
and  two  men  got  a  long  rope  —  there 
weren't  any  ladders  to  speak  of  there  — 
and  climbed  the  tree.  Jed  had  the  rope 
tied  under  his  arms,  and  then  —  you  see, 
he  was  a  little  higher  than  the  window  — 
he  had  the  men  push  him  out.  He  swung 
back  and  forth  up  there  for  a  while,  the 
men  all  the  time  pushing  and  yet  holding 
on  to  the  rope,  which  was  paid  out  over 
one  of  the  branches,  and  for  a  while  it 
didn't  seem  possible  that  he'd  ever  get  to 
the  window.  Two  or  thre?  times  he'd 
almost  make  it,  but  his  hands  would  slip, 
and  off  he'd  go  again.  But  he  never  gave 
up,  and  though  'twas  middling  warm  work, 
I  think,  and  the  flames  roared  like  an  ex- 
press train,  he  kept  at  it.  The  wind  was 
driving  the  flames  and  smoke  the  other 
way,  or  he  never  could  have  done  anything 
at  all ;  but  at  last  he  got  a  grip  on  the  win- 
dow-sill, and  held  on.  When  he  climbed 
into  the  room  and  disappeared  from  sight, 
the  crowd  below  groaned  as  if  it  was  one 
man.  It's  wonderful,  the  shout  or  the  cry 
of  a  crowd ;  it  alwavs  seems  to  me  like 
that  of  one  great  giant. 

"  When  Jed  came  to  the  window  again, 


THE  boatman's  IIKliOISM. 


179 


in, 


he  had  both  the  woman  and  the  chihl  with 
him.  He  fixed  the  rope  around  all  three 
of  them,  and  held  each  of  them  with  one 
arm,  and  then,  after  calling  to  the  men  in 
the  tree,  he  just  let  himself  go. 

"  For  a  minute  it  didn't  seem  as  if  the 
men  could  hold  on  to  th'^  rope,  and  it  was 
a  pretty  good-sized  load,  with  Jed  and  the 
other  two,  as  you  may  well  believe.  I 
think  they  must  have  had  a  pretty  good 
bump  when  they  struck  the  branches  of 
the  tree,  and  I  know  they  were  pretty 
badly  scratched  and  bruised ;  but  Jed  used 
his  feet  and  body  and  head  as  a  buffer,  and 
pretty  soon  all  three  of  them  were  pulled 
in.  And  when  at  last  they  were  let  down 
to  the  ground,  and  the  woman  and  her 
child  were  taken  over  to  th^  other  hotel 
in  a  boat,  such  a  shout  and  cheer  went  up 
from,  the  crowd  as  I  never  in  all  my  life 
heard  before.  It  beat  the  yell  we  gave  on 
Weston  Field  when  the  last  Amherst  man 
was  out  the  other  day." 

"  Yes,  I  could  hear  it  over  here,"  said 
Bob.  "And  you  say  Jed  was  the  hero  of 
the  hour?" 

"  He  was  that !  I  tell  you,  he  beats 
your  Frontenac  and  Cartier  and  all  your 


i 


180     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LA  WHENCE. 


EM 


•hii 


old  heroes  all  to  pieces !  But  I  don't  sup- 
pose any  one  will  ever  write  him  up,  and 
so  his  name  will  never  go  down  to  pos- 
terity as  it  deserves.  But,  I  tell  you,  Jed 
Bates  was  a  hero.  And  if  you  could  see 
the  condition  of  his  face  and  hands,  you'd 
think  he'd  been  through  a  sawmill  or  a 
threshing-machine,  or  a  college  rush,"  he 
added  solemnly. 

"  Many  a  hero  is  born  to  blush  unseen,'* 
said  Bob.  "  If  that  isn't  a  correct  quota- 
tion, it  ought  to  be.  I  —  What's  wrong  ?  " 
he  added  quickly. 

Not  far  away  the  skiff  could  be  seen 
swiftly  approaching.  Bert  was  rowing,  and 
it  was  evident  from  his  exertions  that  some- 
th:.~ig  extraordinary  had  occurred.  Both 
boys  ran  quickly  toward  the  spot  where 
he  was  about  to  land,  and  the  very  first 
word  Bert  spoke  was  one  that  caused  the 
exciting  events  of  the  night,  and  even  the 
heroism  of  Jed,  the  boatman,  to  be  forgotten. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


THE    SEARCH. 


j» 


>> 


"  The  old  tub's  gone,  boys !  "  exclaimed 
Bert,  as  he  leaped  ashore. 

"  Gone  ?  gone  ?  What  *  old  tub '  ?  What 
do  you  mean  ?  "  said  Ben. 

*'  Just  what  I  say.  When  we  came  back 
and  didn't  find  the  house-boat  where  we 
left  it,  my  first  thought  was  that  we'd 
come  to  tlie  wrong  spot,  for  these  coves 
and  bays  get  me  all  mixed  up,  and  I  can't 
tell  one  from  another.  But  Ethan  couldn't 
be  fooled,  and  Jed  was  as  positive  as  he 
that  he  had  come  to  the  right  spot." 

"  I  don't  understand  It,"  said  Bob.  ^'  Did 
soiae  one  take  it  away  ?  " 

"  No.  It  worked  loose.  You  see  the 
wind  struck  it  hard,  and  as  the  river  was 
rough,  it  kept  our  floating  palace  working 
at  her  moorings,  and  at  last  she  got  free. 
The  stakes  were  all  riglit,  but  the  ropes,  or 
cables,  or  whatever  you  call  them,  were 
gone.     Ditto  the  house-boat." 

181 


1    i 


■  : 


H  U 


182     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE, 

"  Of  course  you  haven't  any  idea  when 
she  departed  ?  "  suggested  Ben. 

"  Not  the  sHghtest,  though  it  must  have 
been  while  we  were  at  the  fire." 

"  And  you  couldn't  see  anything  of  her 
anywhere?  " 

*'  Not  a  glimpse." 

"  Well,  what's  to  be  done  ?  " 

"Ethan  and  Jock  have  suggested  that 
we  —  that  is,  all  three  of  us  —  go  on  to  the 
Park  and  see  if  we  can't  charter  some  yacht. 
Ethan  said  it  would  be  a  good  idea  for  us 
to  get  some  breakfast  there  before  we  came 
back,  and  bring  them  some,  too,  seeing  that 
the  kitchen  and  dining  room  took  their  de- 
parture along  with  the  house-boat.'* 

"I  think  we'd  better  start  right  away, 
then,"  said  Bob.  "  We've  lost  a  skiff,  and 
now  the  house-boat  has  gone,  too ;  and  if  we 
don't  make  haste,  we'll  find  the  island  itself 
leaving  us,  to  say  nothing  of  the  river." 

"  The  river  goes,  anyway,"  suggested  Ben, 
soberly. 

The  boys  laughed  and  hastily  took  their 
seats  in  the  skiff,  with  Bob  at  the  oars.  In 
a  brief  time  they  were  out  in  the  main 
channel,  and  soon  afterward  approached 
the  dock  of  the  place  they  were  seeking. 


THE  SEARCH. 


183 


To  their  delight  they  discovered  a  little 
steam  yacht  there,  which  they  chartered 
for  the  day,  and  then  hastily  made  their 
way  to  the  hotel,  where  they  ordered  a 
breakfast  to  which  they  did  ample  justice, 
we  may  be  sure. 

As  soon  as  this  duty  had  been  attended 
to,  they  returned  to  the  dock,  followed  by  a 
colored  man  with  baskets  in  his  hands, 
which,  if  one  might  judge  by  their  capacity, 
contained  provisions  that  would  be  ample 
for  more  than  one  day  ;  and  a  few  minutes 
afterward,  with  the  skiff  in  tow,  they  were 
speeding  away  toward  the  piace  in  Eel  Bay 
where  their  friends  were  waiting  for  them. 

When  half  an  hour  later  they  approached 
the  spot,  a  shout  from  Jock  greeted 
them,  and,  without  attempting  to  run 
the  yacht  close  inshore.  Bob  took  the 
skiff,  and  soon  had  placed  his  three  recent 
companion3  on  board.  Immediately  the 
yacht  was  headed  down  the  river,  and 
while  the  hungry  men  fell  upon  the  pro- 
visions which  the  boys  had  brought  with 
them,  the  conversation  was  not  suffered  to 
flag.  The  night  had  been  an  exciting  one, 
and  there  had  been  no  opportunity  to  talk 
over  the  stirring  events.     A  huge  scratch 


ii 

Hh 

1 

If'  r    ''' 

|||i 

it  ■' 

\      ■• 

f ; 

i '          i 

h  *  * 

.'* 

1^'- 

'    : 

IH 

||«i  :|i; 

l,  if   : 

i 

1  ■ ',  ^ 

1 

ri| 

.i 

iJ 

1 

■ 

1  I          i 

j  i  ;    ^ 

1  ^ 

!^     1 

\':i.\          ;   ^  '» 

jj  m 

;,    ■             i 

lip 

■  V 

}^M 


U:m  t 


!i:li' 


if 


184     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

on  Jed's  face,  and  the  fact  that  both  his 
hands  were  wrapped  in  cloths,  were  silent 
witnesses  to  the  part  the  boatman  had  taken 
in  the  rescue  of  the  woman  and  her  child 
from  the  burning  hotel. 

Again  the  story  was  told,  and  many  were 
the  questions  to  be  asked  and  answered. 
Jed  had  not  much  to  say,  but  the  expression 
upon  his  face  was  one  that,  under  other 
circumstances,  would  have  highly  delighted 
the  boys.  The  consciousness  of  superior 
merit  was  now  very  apparent,  and,  though 
Ethan  made  no  attempt  to  belittle  the  heroic 
action  of  his  comrade,  it  was  evident  that  he 
was  somewhat  restive  under  the  lavish  nraise 
that  was  bestowed  upon  his  rival. 

"  'Twasn't  no  such  great  shucks,  after  all," 
Ethan  declared  at  last,  no  longer  able  to 
remain  silent.  Now  that  the  danger  had 
been  safely  passed,  and  Jed  was  safe,  as 
well  as  the  people  he  had  rescued,  he  was 
inclined  to  attempt  to  divert  some  of  the 
attention  into  its  more  proper  channel, 
which  in  the  mind  of  the  boatman  was, 
more  properly  speaking,  his  own. 

"  I'm  not  attemptin'  to  belittle  Jed 
Bates,"  he  continued ;  "  but  there's  lots  o* 
men  could  have  done  the  same  thing." 


■^^ 


THE  SEARCB. 


185 


u 


a 


Jed 

:s  o' 


But  they  didn't,"  suggested  Bert,  gravely. 
Jed  was  the  only  one  to  do  anything." 

"  I'm  not  disputin'  that,"  said  Ethan, 
sharply.  "  All  I'm  a  sayin'  is  that  there's 
lots  o'  others  could  have  done  the  same 
thing  if  they'd  tried." 

"  But  they  didn't  try,"  said  Bert,  who  it 
is  to  be  feared,  took  great  delight  in  stirring 
up  the  feelings  of  the  worthy  boatman. 

*'  I'm  not  disputin'  that,  I  tell  ye,"  re- 
sponded Ethan,  still  more  sharply.  "  All 
I'm  a  sayin'  is  that  others  could  'a'  done  it, 
too.  Jed's  all  right,  —  I'm  not  tryin'  to  de- 
tract from  that, — but  he  isn't  the  only  man 
on  the  river  that  could  'a'  done  what  he 
did." 

"But  they  didn't,  and  Jed  did,"  said  Bert. 
"  My  father  is  always  telling  me  that  the 
difference  between  men  who  succeed  and 
those  who  fail  in  life  is  not  in  the  opportu- 
nities they  have.  Every  man  has  a  chance, 
only  some  don't  see  that  it  is  a  chance,  and 
so  let  it  go  till  it's  too  late  to  seize  it." 

"  Shucks !  "  snorted  Ethan,  indignantly. 
"That's  the  most  'tamal  nonsense  a  man 
ever  talked  yet.  Neow  there's  Jock  Cope's 
pa  an'  me.  We  was  in  the  same  school, 
and  set  together  on    he  same  bench.     Jest 


186     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


. » 


lUi 


\"\  \ 


see  heow  it's  come  eout,  will  ye  ?  Here's 
Jock  Cope's  pa  jest  a  rollin'  in  wealth. 
His  ma  keeps  three  or  four  hired  girls,  and 
his  pa  don't  have  to  go  deown  to  his  store 
afore  nine  o'clock  in  the  mornin'.  Then 
jest  look  at  me.  Here  I  am  a  toilin'  an'  a 
toilin',  havin'  to  earn  my  bread  by  the 
sweat  o'  my  brow.  An'  yet  we  started 
jest  the  same.  I  tell  ye  the  difference  be- 
tween men  is  luck,  jest  luck,  an'  that's  all 
there  is  abeout  it." 

"  Why  didn't  you  go  off  down  to  the 
city,  too,  when  my  father  did  ?  "  inquired 
Jock,  who  was  quick  to  respond  when  his 
father  was  brought  into  question. 

''  Why  didn't  I  go  ?  Why  didn't  I  go  ?  " 
retorted  Ethan,  sharply.  "  Why,  I  didn't 
go  jest  because  I  didn't  care  to  go.  I 
didn't  have  nobody  to  push  me." 

"  Did  my  father  ?  "  said  Jock. 

"  No,  I  dunno  as  he  did,  that  is,  nobody 
in  particular ;  but  then  he  jest  happened  to 
strike  it." 

"  Yes,  he  struck  it  as  office  boy  at  three 
dollars  a  week.  I've  often  heard  him  tell 
the  story,"  said  Jock,  warmly.  "  He  says 
he  wouldn't  have  me  go  through  it  as  he 
did  for  all  the  money  in  America.     It  was 


^ 


THE  SEARCff. 


187 


?" 


a  terrible  time.  He  felt  like  giving  up  lots 
of  times,  but  he  didn't.  He  just  held  right 
on  and  went  right  straight  through,  and 
when  he  was  promoted,  every  time  it  was 
because  he  had  worked  harder  than  some 
one  ehe,  and  could  do  that  work  better 
than  any  one  else  did." 

^'  That's  jest  his  brag,"  retorted  Ethan. 
"  I  tell  ye,  I  knew  Jock  Cope  long  afore 
you  did,  and  he  isn't  any  smaiter'n  lots  o* 
men  raised  at  the  Corners.  He  had  luck, 
that's  what  he  had.  I  never  had  no  luck 
myself,  that  is,  not  much  to  speak  of." 

There  was  a  bright  red  spot  on  each  of 
young  Jock's  cheeks,  and  he  was  about  to 
utter  an  angry  retort  when  he  felt  Sob's 
hand  placed  on  his  and  restrained  himself. 
Bob,  however,  took  up  the  cudgel;  but  it 
was  difiicult  to  be  angry  with  him,  he  spoke 
so  good-naturedly,  and  even  Ethan  himself 
soon  felt  his  influence. 

"It's  every  man  to  his  work,  isn't  it, 
Ethan?"  said  Bob.  "Now  Mr.  Cope  didn't 
like  to  stay  on  the  old  place,  and  you  didn't 
want  to  leave  it.  Isn't  that  about  it?  You 
could  have  gone,  too,  if  you'd  wanted  to." 

"  Of  course  I  could,"  responded  the  boat- 
man, somewhat  mollified.     "But  I  didn't 


%e 


188     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


i  ! 


im 


b'lieve  the  game  was  worth  the  candle. 
Besides,  my  father  left  me  the  old  home, 
and  I  jest  couldn't  bear  to  see  it  go  eout  o' 
the  family." 

"You  ought  not  to  blame  my  father,  then, 
because  he  went  and  succeeded,"  inter- 
rupted Jock.  "  You  did  what  you  wanted 
to,  and  so  did  he." 

"  I'm  not  a  blamin'  him,"  replied  Ethan. 
"  All  I'm  a  sayin'  is  that  he  jest  had  good 
luck  an'  that's  all  there  is  to  it.  Neow  I 
was  up  to  the  school  when  Bob  here  had 
the  speakin'  pieces  the  last  day.  Ye  see 
I'm  one  o'  the  trustees,"  he  added  with 
pride.  "  Well,  one  o'  the  boys  got  up  an' 
he  spoke  a  piece  abeout  Paul  the  Dear's 
ride." 

"  Whose  ride  ?  "  said  Ben,  sharply. 

"  Paul  the  Dear.  An'  the  fellow  spoke 
it  first-rate,  too.  He  flung  eout  his  arms 
an'  hollered  good,  an'  went  on  to  tell  heow 
this  man  —  Paul  the  Dear  —  got  a  lantern 
an'  jumped  on  the  back  o'  his  hoss,  an' 
went  a  yellin'  along  the  road  that  the  red- 
coats was  a  comin'.  It  most  made  me  feel 
as  if  I  wanted  to  go  home  an'  get  my  old 
shot-gun  an'  go  eout  an'  join  the  men,  too." 

"You  mean  Paul  Revere,  don't  you?" 


THE  SEARCH. 


189 


>  M 


>> 


?" 


inquired  Bert,  in  such  a  solemn  manner 
that  Ben  made  a  rush  for  the  rail, 
where  he  stood  gazing  out  over  the  river 
as  if  he  suddenly  had  discovered  some 
sight  of  special  interest  on  the  far-away 
shores. 

"  Mebbe  that  was  his  name,"  said  Ethan, 
*'  though  it  sounded  to  me  jest  as  if  'twas 
Paul  the  Dear.  Well,  as  I  was  a  sayin*, 
the  boy  spoke  it  first-rate.  But  I  was 
a  thinkin'  all  the  time  that  'twasn't  any 
such  great  shucks  after  all,  for  I  b'lieve 
there  was  hundreds  o'  men  what  could 
have  grabbed  their  lanterns  and  gone  ridin' 
like  Jehu  'long  the  road  and  yelled  eout 
that  the  Britishers  was  comin',  if  they'd 
tried  real  hard.  Yes,  sir ;  there  was  hun- 
dreds on  'em,  in  my  'pinion." 

"  What  made  the  difference  in  Paul 
Revere's  case?"  asked   Bob. 

"  He  jest  had  somebody  what  writ  it  up 
for  him.  Now,  that's  what  I  call  luck. 
Paul  the  Dear  had  the  luck  to  find  some- 
body to  tell  abeout  what  he  did.  That's  all 
the  difference  the'  is,  boys,  between  folks. 
Some  has  luck,  an'  some  hasn't." 

"And  so  you  think  that  Mr.  Cope  and 
Jed   here  just  had  the   good  luck   to   do 


ii 


If  I 


mil 


190     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

what  they've  done,  do  you,  Ethan?"  in- 
quired Bert. 

^'  Yes,  sir ;  that's  all  'twas.'* 

"  Well,  the  tree  was  there  and  the  rope 
was  there,  and  lots  of  men  were  there  at 
the  fire.  Why  didn't  some  one  else  happen 
to  get  the  woman  and  her  child  out  ?  "  said 
Bert. 

"  'Cause  they  didn't  happen  to  think  on  it, 
that's  all." 

"  But  they  had  the  same  chance,  didn't 
they  ?  " 

*'  They  didn't  jest  happen  to  think  on  it, 
I  tell  ye,"  said  Ethan,  sharply. 

"  That  is,  they  all  had  the  same  chance, 
but  only  Jed  and  the  other  two  men  made 
use  of  it,  you  mean  ?  "  said  Bert. 

"  That's  one  way  o'  puttin'  it." 

"Well,  my  father  says  that's  just  the 
difference  between  men.  The  chances  come 
along  to  all,  and  only  a  few  have  sense 
enough  to  see  that  it  is  a  real  opportunity. 
That's  the  reason  he  sent  me  to  college, 
just  because  he  wanted  my  great  intellect 
trained,  so  that  when  I  saw  a  good  thing 
I'd  have  sense  enough  to  know  that  it  was 
a  good  thing." 

"Shucks!  It's  jest  luck,  an'  that's  all 
the'  is  to  it." 


THE  SKAHCn. 


191 


in- 


all 


*'  There's  one  thing  Ethan  knows  better 
than  any  of  us,"  suggested  Bob, "  and  that's 
how  to  find  the  house-boat." 

"  Better  get  Bert  here  to  tell  ye.  He's 
havin'  his  intellect  trained,  an'  prob'ly  he 
knows  more'n  1  do  abeout  it,"  replied  Ethan, 
disdainfully,  glancing  keenly  over  the  river 
as  he  spoke. 

"I  think  it  probably  went  down  the 
river,"  said  Bert,  promptly. 

"  Jinks !  I  wish  I  could  'a'  had  the  luck 
to  go  to  college,"  said  Ethan,  scornfully. 
"  It  takes  a  mighty  big  intellect  to  think 
o'  that.  Neow  prob'ly  the  ordinary  man, 
after  thinkin'  over  the  matter  a  spell,  would 
'a'  concluded  that  that  'ere  house-boat  had 
either  gone  up  the  stream,  or  had  crawled 
up  the  bank  an'  hid  in  the  bushes,  or  mebbe 
had  jumped  up  in  the  clouds,  an'  would 
come  deown  to  earth  again  'long  with  the 
next  rainfall.  It's  a  great  thing  to  have  a 
trained  intellect,  I'm  tellin'  ye.  It's  only 
the  educated  man  what  could  think  eout 
that  'ere  problem." 

Ethan's  good-nature  was  evidently  re- 
stored, and  so  the  entire  party,  including 
Bert,  laughed  heartily  at  his  words.  The 
yacht,  however,  by  this  time  was  near  a 


192     JIOU8£-nOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


liiir^  ' 


iSI   '\t'  ' 


i    ■! 


dock  on  one  of  the  islands,  and  at  the  boat- 
man's suggestion  he  was  permitted  to  land. 
He  made  his  way  to  the  little  hotel  near 
by,  and  in  a  few  minutes  returned  to  the 
yacht.  His  face  betrayed  the  fact  that  he 
had  secured  some  information  of  interest  to 
all,  and  in  response  to  the  eager  question 
of  Jock  he  said  :  — 

"  Yes,  they  seen  it,  boys.  It  came  a  tum- 
blin'  an'  a  rollin'  'long  here  abeout  two  hours 
ago.  They  say  as  how  a  party  from  Canada 
went  aboard,  and  took  the  house-boat  along 
with  'em.  The  folks  in  the  hotel  thought 
as  heow  it  belonged  to  'em,  so  they  kept 
still  an'  said  no  thin'." 

"Canada!"  exclaimed  the  boys  together. 

"  That's  what  I  said,  ar.d  that's  where 
we're  goin'." 

At  the  word  of  the  boatman  the  yacht 
was  headed  for  the  Canadian  shore,  and 
with  increasing  speed  started  swiftly  across 
the  broad  bay. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 


IN   CANADIAN   WATERS. 


i 


The  yacht  was  soon  in  the  midst  of  tlie 
Canadian  islands,  which  for  beauty  and 
picturesqueness  far  surpassed  those  upon 
the  opposite  side  of  the  great  river.  Some 
of  these  islands  were  bold  and  rocky,  and 
others  were  soft  and  fertile.  Farm-houses 
were  to  be  seen  here  and  there,  and  in 
places  the  channel  ran  so  close  to  the 
shores  that  the  boys  might  easily  have 
leaped  across  the  narrow  water  interven- 
ing. 

The  thought  of  regaining  the  lost  house- 
boat, however,  banished  from  their  minds 
even  the  impressions  which  the  wooded 
islands  and  swift-flowing  waters  unde" 
other  circumstances  would  readily  have 
produced.  The  most  of  those  on  board 
were  keeping  a  careful  lookout,  hoping  all 
the  time  to  discover  the  whereabouts  of 
the  missing  craft.    Conversation  had  ceased 

o  103 


Ml 


\tr 


i 

f  ■ ! 

mi-      liiiik: 

1  r'                  t  ■ 
it             ^^1 

1 

Hi     '^"111 

f'i    1                     1 

y|,                '  1 

p  „ ,  -     .| 

w^ 

Wi\\ 

p..:. J  --  || 

%'  '    "             1 

ii  • '             i 

p£ii  .•-!-  ■* 

ffl|  (;,iM .,.                                1 

||pii!n| 

Ml  1 ' 

IBll  jii  j 

11 

194    HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAV/RENCE. 

for  the  most  part,  and  Jed  maintained  the 
silence  which  he  had  seldom  broken  since 
they  had  set  forth  on  their  quest.  His 
Ijandaged  hands  perhaps  explained  his 
reluctance  to  speak,  but  if  his  young  com- 
panions were  expecting  him  to  have  no  part 
in  the  experiences  of  the  day,  they  were 
soon  to  be  disabused,  for  the  boatman  was 
merely  biding  his  time. 

Jock  had  been  reading  the  letters  he  had 
received  the  preceding  evening,  and  had 
withdrawn  from  his  comrades  to  a  more 
secluded  spot  aft,  but  as  he  completed  his 
b^  no  means  unpleasant  task,  he  quickly 
rose  from  his  seat,  and  rejoining  his  friends 
said,  "  I  say,  fellows,  I've  had  a  letter 
from  the  Clarkes." 

"Which  one  —  pater,  mater,  or  tilia?" 
inquired  Bert,  quizzically. 

"  It's  from  Mrs.  Clarke.  They're  already 
in  their  summer  home  at '  The  Rocks,'  and 
I  thought  that  fact  might  be  of  interest  to 
you,  especially  to  Ben." 

"You're  not  mistaken,  my  brilliant 
young  friend,"  replied  Ben,  with  a  solemi 
air.  "  I  am  interested  in  the  Clarkes  ;  but 
then,  in  that  particular,  I  don't  know  that 
I  differ  from  the  rest  of  you.     The  main 


IN  CANADIAN   WATERS. 


196 


point  is,  that  the  Clarkes  are  interested  in 


>> 


me. 

"  Just  listen  to  that,  will  you,  fellows  ?  " 
exclaimed  Bert,  as  he  gave  his  room-mate  a 
push  that  almost  upset  the  chair  on  which 
Ben  was  seated. 

"  I  don't  see  why  they  shouldn't  be  inter- 
ested in  him,"  said  Bob.  *'  He  certainly 
had  the  most  unique  manner  of  presenting 
himself  before  the  family  I  ever  heard  of.^ 
I  say,  Ben,  did  the  girls  ever  see  you  in 
dry  clothing?" 

"  Sometimes,"  replied  Ben.  "  But,  then, 
there's  still  one  advantage  I  have  over  you 
fellows.  It's  true  I  was  upset  in  my  canoe 
several  times,  but  you  didn't  even  have 
that  chance.  The  girls  would  rather  see 
me  upset  than  you  all  in  your  dress  suits." 

"  I  haven't  a  doubt  as  to  that,"  responded 
Bert.  "  I  tell  you,  fellows,  it  was  the  most 
affecting  sight  I  ever  saw.  Just  think  of 
Ben  tipping  over  his  canoe  right  before 
the  young  ladies,  and  waving  those  long 
legs  of  his  like  a  signal  of  distress  in  the 
air  before  he  disappeared  beneath  the  cold 
waters  of  the  mighty  St.  Lawrence.  It 
made  even  the  rocks  their   silence  break. 

1 "  Camping  on  the  St.  Lawrence." 


196     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


:r    i 


Are  the  same  girls  there  that  were  with 
them  last  summer,  Jock  ?  " 

"  T  don't  know,"  replied  Jock.  "  Mrs. 
Clarke  doesn't  say.  She  simply  writes  that 
they  have  company,  and  are  planning  for  a 
picnic  next  Wednesday,  and  invites  us  to 
join  them.     Shall  we  do  it  ?  " 

"  Do  it  ?  Do  it  ? "  exclaimed  Ben. 
"  Well,  I  should  say  so !  But,  Jock,  how'U 
you  get  word  to  them?  Post-offices  don't 
seem  to  be  very  thick  in  this  region." 

The  yacht  was  now  moving  through  one 
of  the  larger  open  spaces  of  the  river,  and 
the  shores  of  the  adjacent  islands  were 
farther  distant  than  those  which  they  had 
recently  passed.  There  were  cottages  at 
infrequent  intervals  along  the  banks,  but 
the  primeval  wildness  of  the  region  had 
been  but  slightly  modified  by  the  hand  of 
man.  The  beauty  of  the  scenery  was  of  a 
more  rugged  character,  and  those  who  had 
built  their  summer  homes  in  the  vicinity 
were  indeed  near  to  nature's  heart. 

Jed  now  approached  the  party,  and  point- 
ing to  a  party  of  boys  who  could  be  seen 
not  far  in  advance  of  them,  fishing  from 
skiffs,  he  said,  "We'll  hail  those  fellows 
and  find  out  if  they've  seen  anything  of 


IN  CANADIAN   WATERS. 


197 


our  wandering  house-boat,  but  I  don't  know 
as  it'll  do  any  good." 

"They  can  tell  us,  anyway,  whether 
they've  seen  it  or  not,"  said  Jock. 

"  They  caUf  fast  enough,  but  whether  they 
will  or  not  is  another  question." 

"  I  don't  see  what  you  mean,"  said  Jock. 

"Why,  these  Canadian  fellows  don't 
love  the  '  States,*  as  they  call  'em,  over 
much,  and  'twould  be  just  like  'em  to  send 
us  off  on  che  wrong  tack." 

"I  hardly  think  they'll  do  that,"  said 
Jock,  laughingly.  "  They  seem  to  be  very 
peaceable,  and,  as  far  as  I  have  observed, 
they  seem  to  be  very  much  like  us,  only  a 
little  more  so." 

"Sho!  Don't  you  believe  it!  Why, 
would  you  believe  it,  the  other  day  one  fel- 
low said  to  me  as  how  we  had  no  right  to 
call  our  side  o'  the  river  the  ^  American ' 
side  at  all.     Jest  think  o'  that,  will  ye  ?  " 

"  I  should  think  the  fellow  was  about 
right,"  said  Bob;  "I  never  could  understand 
why  we  always  did  that  very  thing.  It 
isn't  any  more  America  on  one  side  of  the 
river  than  it  is  on  the  other." 

"  Git  ecut !  "  snorted  Jed.  "  You're  as 
bad  as  the  Canucks." 


!!■ 


l' 


ijik 


I 


;■'  ■  •  S 


/ 


? 


198     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

"What  would  you  call  the  Canadian 
side  ? "  inquired  Ben. 

"  I  don't  care  nothin'  abeout  what  ye  call 
their  side.  What  I'm  a  talkin'  abeout  is 
that  our  side  o'  the  river  is  the  American 
side." 

"  How  do  you  make  that  out  ?  "  said  Ben. 

"  Well,  it's  the  United  States  of  America, 
on  our  side,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Ben. 

"Well,  that's  the  American  side,  then, 
isn't  it?" 

"  Yes,  and  so  is  the  other.  Canada  is  a 
part  of  North  America  as  much  as  the 
United  States  is,"  replied  Ben. 

"  In  a  way  that  may  be  trew,"  said  Jed, 
"  but  one  side  o*  the  river  is  the  Canadian 
and  t'other  is  the  American.  You  can't 
drive  that  notion  eout  o'  my  head,  an*  I 
know  what  I'm  a  talkin'  abeout,  too.  An' 
that  isn't  all  there  is  to  it,  either.  Neow 
there's  a  tariff  on  all  the  stuff  the  Canadians 
bring  into  our  country,  but  those  fellows 
come  over  here  an'  they  get  a  lot  o'  the 
people  from  the  hotels  on  the  American 
side  to  take  eout  a  fishin'.  That's  no  fair, 
either." 

"Jed,  do  you  lever  take  any  of  your  par- 


lENCE. 

anadian 

»  ye  call 

■i 

3eout  is 

J 

meiican 

^\j^ 

lid  Ben. 

■  ^ 

A 

merica, 

J 

3,  then. 

ida  is  a 

'h 

as  the 

% 

id  Jed, 

'/'% 

bnadian 

1  can't 

,  an'  I 

•9 

.     An' 

^ 

Neow 

-J 

adians 

^^^ 

vl 

'ellows 

1 

' 

o'  the 

erican 

0  fair. 

IN  CANADIAN    WATERS. 


199 


ties  fishing  in  the  Canadian  waters  ?  "  in- 
quired Bob,  slowly. 

"  Course  I  do,"  replied  the  boatman ;  "  the 
fishin'  is  a  sight  better  than  it  is  in  the 
American  waters." 

"Don't  you  think  it  is  just  as  fair  for 
their  boatmen  to  come  over  here  on  our  side, 
as  it  is  for  our  boatmen  to  take  parties  over 
into  their  waters  ?" 

"  No,  I  don't !  "  said  Jed,  decidedly,  ut- 
terly failing  to  see  the  point  Bob  had  pre- 
sented. "  I  b'lieve  in  protectin'  American 
things.     Neow  there's  eggs." 

"  Is  the  American  hen  protected  ?  "  said 
Bob. 

"  Course." 

"  I  hope  she  appreciates  it." 

"  What  I'm  a  sayin'  is,  that  it  isn't  fair 
to  protect  a  hen  an'  then  let  all  the  boat- 
men from  Canada  come  over  on  our  side." 

"Not  even  if  our  boatmen  go  over 
there  ? " 

"That  hasn't  anything  to  do  with  it. 
That's  another  matter  entirely." 

"So  I  see." 

"  Then  there's  another  matter,"  said  Jed, 
solemnly,  his  voice  dropping  lower  in  his 
desire  to  be  more  impressive. 


7 


200     UOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


"  What's  that  ?  "  inquired  Bob. 

"The  War  o'  1812  has  got  to  be  fit  over 
again." 

"  You  don't  mean  it ! " 

"  Yes,  I  do  mean  it.  It's  jest  got  to  be 
fit  over  again."  ^ 

"  Why  ?     What  makes  you  think  so  ?  " 

"'Cause  there's  lots  o'  folks  in  Canada 
what  don't  know  they  was  licked  then. 
Why,  do  you  know,  I  heard  a  man  say 
t'other  day  (he  was  from  Canada,  o'  course) 
that  the  Americans  didn't  whip  in  the  bat- 
tle o'  Lundy's  Lane.  What  d'ye  think  o' 
that  ?  "  he  asked  triumphantly,  as  if  he  had 
given  expression  to  a  profound  truth. 

"It  always  has  been  a  disputed  point," 
said  Bob. 

"I  guess  the'  isn't  any  disputin'  on  the 
American  side." 

"Yes,  some  writers  call  it  a  drawn 
battle." 

"  Git  eout !  I  don't  b'lieve  no  such  non- 
sense !  "  replied  Jed,  indignantly.  "That 
War  o'  1812  has  jest  got  to  be  fit  all  over 
again." 

"  When  we're  such  good  friends  now  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir !  They've  just  got  to  own  up 
that  they  was  whipped." 


IN  CANADIAN  WATERS. 


201 


"That's  something  a  little  difficult  to 
teach  the  people  on  either  side  of  the  river, 
I'm  thinking,"  said  Bob.  "People  with 
Anglo  Saxon  blood  in  their  veins  somehow 
never  seem  to  be  able  to  find  out  just  when 
they  are  beaten,  —  if  they  ever  are.  That's 
the  reason  why  they  are  the  foremost  people 
in  the  world  to-day,  wherever  they're  found. 
Tliey  just  don't  know  how  to  give  up." 

The  discussion  was  not  continued,  how- 
ever, as  the  yacht  had  now  approached  the 
place  where  the  young  fishermen  had  been 
discovered ;  and  as  the  steam  was  shut  off 
so  that  the  vessel  was  carried  forward  only 
by  the  current,  Jed  shouted,  — 

"  Have  you  boys  seen  a  house-boat  drift- 
in' by  here?" 

"Seen  a  xohatf  replied  one  of  the 
boys. 

"  Seen  a  house-boat." 

"I  never  saw  a  house-boat  anywhere," 
replied  the  boy,  "  so  of  course  we  haven't 
seen  any  here." 

"  Thank  you !  "  called  Jock^  as  the  yacht 
resumed  its  way. 

"There!  Isn't  it  jest  as  I  told  ye?" 
exclaimed  Jed,  exultingly.  "  I  told  ye  the 
Canadians  was  against  us,  an'  neow  ye  can 


'? 


202     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


\l  t 


VH 


see  for  yourselves  that  I  knew  what  I  was 
talkin'  abeout." 

"  But  they  didn't  even  know  what  a 
house-boat  was,"  protested  Jock,  mildly. 
"How  could  they  help  us  when  they 
hadn't  seen  what  we're  looking  for  ? " 

"  That  doesn't  make  no  difference,"  re- 
plied Jed,  doggedly.  "  I  knew  ye  wouldn't 
get  help  from  any  o'  them.  They're  against 
us,  every  time." 

The  boatman's  prejudice  was  too  strong 
to  admit  of  opposition,  no  matter  how  un- 
reasonable he  was ;  but  as  Ethan  just  at 
this  time  called  to  him,  the  argument,  if 
argument  it  might  be  termed,  was  of  neces- 
sity broken  off. 

The  result  of  the  coixference  of  the  two 
boatmen  was  that  both  agreed  that  it  would 
be  useless  to  go  farther  down  the  river  in 
their  quest;  and  accordingly  the  course  of 
the  yacht  was  changed,  and  the  party 
started  back  on  its  way,  threading  its 
course  in  and  out  among  the  islands,  and 
of  ttimes  approaching  the  main  shore  on  the 
Canadian  side.  Several  times  parties  of 
campers  or  fishermen  were  hailed,  but  not 
one  had  seen  or  heard  anything  of  the 
missing  house-boat. 


IN  CANADIAN   WATERS. 


203 


It  was  near  midday  by  this  time,  and 
after  eating  what  remained  of  the  luncheon 
which  had  been  brought  on  board,  Jed 
advised  a  return,  strongly  affirming  that 
the  house-boat  was  lost,  and  never  would 
be  heard  of  more. 

Ethan,  however,  was  for  continuing  the 
search ;  and  as  Bob  made  reference  to  the 
fact  that  the  present  was  a  good  time  in 
which  to  display  the  quality  of  heart  and 
mind  to  which  he  had  recently  called  Jed's 
attention,  that  worthy  was  forced  to  acqui- 
esce, though  he  shook  his  head  wisely,  and 
declared  that  all  would  soon  be  convinced 
that  he  knew  whereof  he  spoke. 

As  the  afternoon  wore  on,  it  began  to 
seem  as  if  Jed  had  indeed  been  correct  in 
his  opinion.  Camp  after  camp  was  passed, 
but  not  a  word  had  been  heard  of  the  miss- 
ing house-boat.  The  sun  was  low  in  the 
western  sky,  and  the  slowly  returning 
skiffs,  which  could  be  seen  making  their 
way  across  the  water,  proclaimed  the  fact 
that  the  night  would  soon  come.  Even  the 
sturdy  Ethan  was  convinced  that  the  search 
for  the  present  day  must  be  abandoned,  and 
he  was  about  to  suggest  a  return  to  the 


f 

1 

l| 

- 1 

M 

.  f 

1 
1 

^  i 

1 

i! 

j 

,  1 

W 

^     1 

1 

1            'i 

1     1 

i;     ' . 

hi 

.■  i  ■ 

i 
'  f 

!' 

;                                 1' 

i                 J 
1               ''i 

^                              1 

i 

I 


I  '  I 


M 


I 


m 


m 


204   iiousE-noAT  on  the  st.  Lawrence. 

hotel,  when  ho  cand  all  the  company  were 
startled  by  a  shout  from  Jock. 

"  There  she  is !  She's  right  over  there 
in  that  little  cove  !  " 

Glancing  quickly  in  the  direction  indi- 
(!ated  by  the  exultant  lad,  all  could  see 
the  outlines  of  the  house-boat,  though  ap- 
parently it  had  been  intentionally  concealed 
behind  some  low  cedars  that  grew  along 
the  shore. 

Instantly  the  yacht  started  toward  the 
place,  but  the  sight  of  four  or  five  men  on 
the  deck  of  the  house-boat  threatened  to 
complicate  matters,  and  present  a  new  and 
unwelcome  aspect  to  the  problem. 


HENCE. 

my  were 

H 

er  there 

ion  indi- 
ould  see 
)ugh  ap- 
oncealed 

i 

w  along 

':  ^. 

^rard  the 

r; 

s  men  on 
tened  to 
new  and 

• 
i 

What  yk  ixhn'  with  oi;ii  iioirsK-noAT  V  "     Page  20r». 


H^ 


j!r 


it   ^  ! 


1     II 


Ji, 


/ 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


THE   NARRATIVE. 


"  What  ye  doin'  with  our  house-boat  ?  " 
called  Jed,  excitedly,  as  the  yacht  drew  near 
the  place  they  were  seeking. 

"Your  house-boat?"  responded  one  of 
the  men,  glumly.  "  How  do  we  know  it's 
your's  any  more  than  it's  ours  ?  Just  prove 
your  right  to  it,  will  you  ?  " 

"  It's  just  as  I  told  you,"  remarked  Jed 
in  a  lower  tone  to  the  boys.  "  Ye  see  they 
don't  mean  to  give  it  up  at  all." 

A  brief  conference,  however,  convinced 
the  men  that  the  party  was  indeed  the  one 
to  whom  the  house-boat  rightfully  belonged ; 
and  despite  the  words  of  the  boatman,  it 
was  at  once  evident  that  they  were  not 
planning  to  make  any  claim  to  ownership. 
T^^  told  how  they  had  seen  the  strange 
craft  swept  toward  them  while  they  were 
fishing  near  the  shore,  and  its  peculiar 
antics,  as  well  as  the  apparent  absence  of 

205 


w 


<\-:A*}^^-^f^^i\-p-  'ji'f +,',.V"  -^TV. 


'? 


,m\ 


I- .  f  r- 


206     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

any  one  on  board,  had  induced  tbem  to 
make  investigations  of  their  own.  When 
they  had  discovered  that  to  all  appearances 
it  had  been  abandoned  by  its  owners,  and 
was  being  borne  onward  to  certain  destruc- 
tion, they  had  not  hesitated  to  take  it  in 
charge,  and  had  towed  it  into  the  sheltered 
place  where  it  had  been  discovered  by  its 
rightful  owners. 

They  now  were  very  willing  to  turn  it 
over,  and  in  response  to  Jock's  invitation, 
decided  to  remain  on  board  and  share 
the  evening  meal  with  the  party.  A  bill 
which  Jock  slipped  into  the  hands  of  the 
one  who  appeared  to  be  the  leader  assisted 
in  strengthening  the  bond  of  peace,  and 
preparations  for  supper  were  at  once 
begun. 

While  Ethan  was  busy  on  board  the 
house-boat,  Jed,  with  one  of  the  boys  as 
a  companion,  took  the  skiff,  and  rowing  to 
a  point  not  far  away,  soon  secured  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  fish  for  the  evening  meal; 
and  not  long  afterward  the  entire  party 
was  seated  on  the  deck,  and  shoats  and 
laughter  rang  out  over  the  river,  as  the 
table  which  the  boatmen  had  spread  was 
rapidly  cleared  of  its  provisions. 


'? 


ENCE. 

bein  to 
When 
irances 
rs,  and 
lestruc- 
e  it  in 
eltered 
by  its 

turn  it 
tation, 

share 
A  bill 
of  the 
ssisted 
J,   and 

once 

d  the 
pvs  as 
ng  to 
suffi- 
raeal; 
party 
and 
the 
1  was 


THE   XAliUATIVE. 


befori 


207 


this  time  started 
for  home,  the  pilot  taking  with  him  a 
letter  which  Jock  had  written  accepting 
the  invitat'on  of  Mrs.  Clarke  for  the  picnic 
on  the  following  Wednesday,  and  the  house- 
boat was  to  be  left  in  the  place  where  it 
then  vras,  for  several  days.  The  region 
was  a  beautiful  one ;  and  as  the  following 
day  was  Sunday  there  would  be  nothing 
done  then,  so  that  all  were  resigned  to  the 
decision  which  had  been  made. 

In  many  ways  the  place  was  an  ideal 
one.  High  bluffs  sheltered  the  house-boat 
on  one  side,  and  on  another  the  thick 
growth  of  cedars  kept  off  any  wind  which 
midit  arise  from  that  direction.     On  the 

o 

exposed  side  there  was  a  fine  view  of  the 
magnificent  river,  and  the  twinkling  lights 
on  the  distant  shore,  as  well  as  the  light 
of  the  stars  overhead,  added  much  to  the 
beauty  of  the  summer  evening.  Despite 
the  fact  that  one  of  the  skiffs  was  lost, 
the  recovery  of  the  houcse-boat  made  Ul  the 
boys  in  good  spirits ;  and  when  at  last  the 
supper  was  eaten,  and  their  visitors  rose 
to  depart,  they  all  declared  that  the  loss  of 
their  floating  domicile  had  but  added  to 
the  enjoyment  of  the  day. 


i 


■?v-#,-.'>,'-  ,,'.'^;  :f:'[-'  <i*f 


r 


7 


208    nOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

The  recoverers  of  the  house-boat  soon 
took  their  skiffs  and  disappeared  in  the 
darkness,  though  the  sound  of  their  oars 
could  be  heard  long  after  their  boats  could 
no  longer  be  seen.  The  evening  was  a 
glorious  one,  and  the  sighing  of  the  gentle 
breeze  in  the  tree-tops  and  the  lapping  of 
the  little  waves  against  the  side  of  the 
house-boat  were  like  music. 

The  boatmen  had  looked  well  to  the 
fastenings,  and  satisfied  this  time  that 
there  was  no  danger  of  the  boat  getting 
loose  again,  took  lh^  places  on  the  deck, 
and  lighting  their  pipes,  listened  to  the 
boys  as  they  laughed  and  sang,  and  seemed 
to  share,  in  their  quiet  way,  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  their  younger  companions. 

i<  Why,  isn't  this  a  good  time  for  Bob  to 
go  on  with  his  stovy  of  Frontenac  ? "  sug- 
gested Joel"  "I  want  to  get  that  man 
and  his  work  firmly  fixed  in  my  mind 
before  the  summer  is  endec 

As  they  all,  apparently  ..  ]'  ist,  shared 
in  Jock's  desire.  Bob  resumed  Un  narrative. 

"  I  was  telling  you  about  Frontenac  and 
his  trouble  at  Quebec,  when  I  left  off,  I 
think.  Weil,  his  trouble  at  Quebec  wasn't 
to  be  mentioned  along  with  that  which  he 


V-- 


m 


THE  NARRATIVE. 


209 


had  at  Montreal.  You  see  the  count  was 
one  of  these  men  who  are  determined  to 
have  their  own  way.  He  was  a  natural 
leader,  but  such  a  man  always  has  enemies 
as  well  as  friends,  too.  Frontenac  was  a 
handsome,  daring,  dashing  man,  gentle  and 
as  winning  as  a  woman  when  he  wanted 
to  be,  and  as  hard  as  flint  when  he  felt 
that  way,  too.  He'd  gained  a  wonderful 
influence  over  the  Indians,  and  probably 
there  hadn't  been  a  white  man  in  the 
New  World  before  who  could  do  what  he 
could  with  them.  He  always  called  them 
'  children,'  whereas  most  of  the  others  had 
referred  to  them  as  *  brothers ';  and  the  red 
men  seemed  to  fall  right  in  with  it,  and  to 
like  it,  too,  though  they  probably  would  have 
rebelled  if  any  other  man  had  attempted 
the  same  thing. 

"  Frontenac's  main  trouble  was  with  the 
Jesuits.  Of  course  some  of  these  were 
good  men ;  but  as  a  general  thing  they 
couldn't  be  trusted,  —  or  that  is  what  the 
count  claimed,  at  all  events.  He  believed 
that  the  Jesuits  were  trying  to  control 
everything.  They  had  their  friends  in  the 
court  in  France,  and  so  kept  themselves 
pretty  well  informed  as  to  what  was  going 


'i 


||!  il 


210     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE 

on  each  side  of  the  ocean.  But  the  real 
cause  of  the  trouble,  after  all,  was  the 
trade  in  furs.  The  fort  which  Frontenac 
had  had  built  up  at  the  head  of  the  river  — 
it  was  built,  as  you  know,  where  Kingston 
now  stands  —  he  had  named  ^  Frontenac,' 
after  himself;  and  as  he  was  running  the 
business  in  furs,  with  more  or  less  an  eye 
to  his  own  gain,  of  course  tiiat  fort  gave 
him  a  tremendous  advantage. 

"  There  was  a  class  of  traders  who  *  feared 
not  the  fort,  neither  regarded  man'  !  They 
were  outlaws,  buccaneers,  pirates,  —  any- 
thing and  everything  that  was  bad  in  the 
eyes  of  the  Jesuits, — which  probably  meant 
that  these  fellows  didn't  always  bring  their 
furs  to  the  proper  market,  pay  the  royal  du- 
ties as  they  ought,  and  let  the  Jesuits  and 
their  friends  have  their  goods  at  a  price 
sufficiently  low  to  suit  the  purchasers." 

"They  had  no  'bargain  counters,'  so  to 
speak,"  suggested  Ben,  gravely. 

"  Exactly.  Well,  Frontenac,  in  a  quiet 
way,  stood  in  with  thcoC  fellows,  and  that 
fact,  as  well  as  the  jealousy  of  the  Jesuits 
over  the  control  of  the  reins  of  govern- 
ment, led  to  no  end  of  trouble.  Indeed,  it 
was  claimed  that  these  men,  with  the  con- 


HENCE 


THE  NARRATIVE. 


211 


the  real 
was  the 
'ontenac 
river  — 
Lingston 
ntenac/ 
ing  the 
an  eye 
rt  gave 

^  feared 
They 
--any- 
in  the 
'  meant 
g  their 
yal  du- 
ts  and 
I  price 

so  to 

quiet 
1  that 
esuits 
)vern- 
ed,  it 
i  con- 


sent, and  even  with  the  knowledge  of  Fron- 
tpnac,  were  not  sending  all  of  their  furs  to 
Montreal  and  Quebec,  but  that  many  of 
them  found  their  way  to  New  York,  where 
the  English  were  in  control,  and  a  more 
heinous  crime  than  that,  in  those  days,  of 
course  could  not  be  conceived. 

"  The  troubles  at  Montreal  grew  worse 
and  worse.  Frontenac  would  wait  until  p 
ship  had  started  for  France,  and  then  he'd 
begin  to  stir  up  matters  worse  than  ever ; 
for  he  knew  that  his  enemies  wouldn't  get 
word  from  the  king  by  cable,  and  he'd  have 
several  months  in  which  he'd  be  free  to 
carry  out  his  own  designs,  without  let  or 
hindrance  from  Louis.  You  mustn't  im- 
agine from  all  this  that  he  wasn't  true  to 
the  king,  for  in  a  way  he  was,  probably  a 
good  deal  more  true  than  the  scheming 
Jesuits  were ;  but  he'd  come  to  New 
France,  not  only  to  look  after  the  interests 
of  Louis,  but  after  his  own  as  well.  That 
was  looked  upon  as  the  proper  thing  by  all ; 
and  it's  more  than  likely  that  the  king  and 
his  secretary,  Colbert,  didn't  really  expect 
to  get  all  the  returns  due  them.  And 
though  the  Jesuits  of  course  made  much  of 
this  in  the  complaints  they  kept  sending  to 


212     IIOU HE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


M; 


m 


.^ij 


!    t 


their  lawful  sove*'eign,  in  reality  they 
weren't  any  better  in  their  own  deals.  It 
was  a  case  of  Hlie  pot  calling  the  kettle 
black.* 

"  The  king  and  Colbert  kept  writing  to 
both  sides,  one  sometimes  sending  a  letter 
as  smooth  as  oil,  and  the  other  as  hard  as 
flint.  They  cajoled  and  promised  and 
threatened,  but  the  quarrel  became  worse 
and  worse,  until  at  last  there  came  a  sum- 
mons for  Frontenac  to  give  up  his  place 
and  come  back  to  France.  It  was  a  sorry 
day  for  New  France  when  that  occurred, 
and  even  the  Jesuits  themselves  were  soon 
to  learn  it,  too ;  but  Frontenac  obeyed, 
and  went  back  home.  Probably  his  pockets 
were  not  as  empty  as  they  were  when  he 
had  come,  but  in  many  ways  he  had  been 
a  very  sterling  man ;  and  there  was  a  very 
general  impression  left  behind  him  that  if 
trouble  really  came  to  New  France,  Fron- 
tenac was  the  one  man  in  all  the  world 
who  could  meet  it.  He'd  been  over  here 
about  ten  years,  I  think ;  so  you  can  see  he 
was  no  child  when  he  went  back  home,  for 
he  was  sixty-two  years  old." 

"  He  was  an  old  man,  then,"  suggested 
Jed,  gravely. 


f, 


^|• 


THE  NARRATIVE. 


213 


"Old?  Old  ?"  said  Ethan,  quickly.  "Ye 
don't  call  sixty-two  old,  do  ye  ?  Why,  I'm 
most  that  myself,  an'  I'm  not  old,  I'd  have 
ye  ^   'ow.'* 

"  I  don't  think  any  one  would  call  you 
an  old  man,  Ethan,"  said  Jock.  "  You 
don't  handle  an  oar  as  if  you  were  very 
feeble,  anyway." 

"  How  old  do  you  think  a  man  must  be, 
to  be  really  old,  Ethan  ?  "  said  Ben. 

*'That  depends.  Some  is  older'n  others," 
replied  the  boatman. 

"That's  so,"  said  Bert.  "Why,  Ethan, 
do  you  know  that  in  New  York  there  are 
some  men  who  are  actually  born  bald- 
headed  ?     They  are,  for  a  fact." 

Ignoring  the  laugh  which  followed,  Bob 
at  once  resumed  his  narrative. 

"  xn  place  of  Frontenac,  Louis  sent  over 
here  a  man  who  was  called  La  Barre,  and 
with  him,  as '  intendant,'  was  another  named 
Meules." 

"Mules!"  exclaimed  Ethan.  "What 
under  the  canopy  did  they  want  o'  mules?" 

"That  was  the  man's  name,"  said  Bob. 
"  Well,  there'd  been  a  big  fire  before  they 
arrived,  and  it  was  a  pretty  desolate  scene 
they  looked  upon  after  they  landed.     They 


'i'-: 


ill! 


m\ 


214     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

began  to  work,  however,  but  La  Barre 
wasn't  fitted  for  the  place.  He  was  an 
experienced  old  officer,  and  had  fought  the 
English  in  the  West  Indies,  but  he  found 
that  a  very  different  kind  of  work  from 
dealing  with  the  savages.  The  Jesuits 
were  quite  enthusiastic  over  him ;  but  the 
very  fact  that  he  was  weak  enough  to  be 
a  tool  in  their  hands,  showed  that  he  wasn't 
strong  enough  to  deal  with  the  Indians  and 
the  problems  they  very  soon  presented,  for 
they  weren't  long  in  finding  out  that  they 
had  a  very  different  man  from  Frontenac  to 
face. 

"  The  Indian  problem  was  now  the  worst 
of  all.  Away  up  the  lakes  the  red  men 
were  supposed  to  be  under  the  protection  of 
the  Frenchmen,  but  the  Iroquois  were  not 
inclined  to  follow  their  example.  They 
had  been  securing  guns  and  ammunition 
from  the  English  and  Dutch  at  New  York 
and  Albany,  and  as  they  were  a  very  brave 
and  independent  people,  naturally  they  were 
not  disposed  to  curry  favor  either  with 
the  English  or  French.  They  had  some 
wonderful  orators,  too,  as  well  as  able  gen- 
erals, and  the  French  were  soon  to  find  thi^ 
out.     When  La  Barre  would  send  for  the 


TUE  NARRATIVE. 


215 


Iroquois  chiefs,  and  tell  them  to  come  to 
Montreal  for  a  conference,  the  Indians  would 
reply  that  the  distance  from  Montreal  to 
their  villages  wasn't  really  very  much 
greater  than  it  was  from  their  villages  to 
Montreal,  and  would  suggest  that  if  he 
really  wished  to  see  them,  his  best  plan 
would  be  to  come  where  they  were. 

"  To  complicate  matters,  the  Iroquois 
were  threatening  to  destroy  the  western 
Indians,  and  the  latter  naturally  turned  to 
the  French  for  the  protection  which  had 
been  assured  them.  Many  of  the  reckless 
and  dissolute  traders  in  furs  at  Montreal 
had  returned  after  Frontenac  had  departed, 
and  they,  of  course,  didn't  want  the  new 
governor  to  do  anything  which  would  in 
any  way  interfere  with  their  business.  And 
poor  La  Barre  was  all  the  time  trying  to  be 
popular,  and  keep  the  peace  with  all.  But 
he  was  a  follower,  and  not  a  leader  of  men ; 
and  besides,  he  didn't  have  a  very  large 
force  of  soldiers  to  stand  behind  him. 

"  So  he  tried  to  do  what  all  weak  men 
do.  He  cajoled  and  threatened  and  prom- 
ised, with  the  result  that  matters  all  the 
time  became  worse  and  worse.  The  Iro- 
quois soon  despised  him,  and  paid  so  little 


II 


I 


I 


n 


r 


^!>'' 


i  -1 


210     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

attention  to  what  he  said  that  even  the 
rascally  merchants  and  the  Jesuits  began 
to  be  afraid.  Then,  too,  the  man  in  charge 
of  the  English  port  at  New  York  saw  his 
cliance,  and  began  to  curry  favor  with  the 
savage  Iroquois,  and  by  every  means  in  his 
power  tried  to  win  the  Indians  over  to  the 
English  king,  and  have  them  renounce  their 
allegiance  to  Louis. 

"  At  last  there  came  a  time  when  the 
weak  La  Bar  re,  tliis  time  influenced  by  the 
merchants  and  people  at  Montreal,  —  he 
was  always  trying  to  do  what  they  told  him 
to  do,  instead  of  doing  what  he  himself 
thought  he  ought  to  do,  —  decided  to  take 
the  field  with  his  soldiers  and  teach  the 
Iroquois  a  good  lesson.  He  did  teach  them 
a  lesson,  though  it  was  not  exactly  the  one 
he  intended ;  and  he  learned  something,  too, 
for  himself,  and  it  was  *  writ  large,'  in  let- 
ters of  fire  and  blood. 


RENCK. 


i  * 


!ven  the 
)s  began 
ti  charge 
saw  his 
vith  the 
tis  in  his 
r  to  the 
ice  their 

lien  the 
i  by  the 
il,  —  he 
dd  him 
himself 
to  take 
ach  the 
3h  them 
the  one 
ing,  too, 
'  in  let- 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

THE   boatman's   INTEREST. 

"La  Barre,  as  I  said,"  continued  Bob, 
"was  a  weak  man,  and  he  was  almost  dis- 
tracted by  his  troubles.  It's  true  that  King 
Louis  didn't  provide  a  very  large  force  of 
regulars ;  but  even  what  he  had  might  have 
enabled  him  to  do  more  if  he  had  had  the 
brains  to  use  them  as  he  ought  to  have 
done.  The  western  Indians  were  mightily 
scared  by  the  Iroquois,  and  were  coming  to 
believe  that  the  French  were  no  good. 

"One  thing  that  made  matters  worse 
was  the  permission  that  La  Barre  had 
given  the  Iroquois  to  plunder  the  boats 
and  men  of  La  Salle,  —  you  know  he  was 
Frontenac's  right-hand  man, — and  the  gov- 
ernor seemed  to  be  entirely  willing  for 
those  who  had  been  friends  of  Frontenac 
to  pay  the  price  of  their  friendship.  It's 
truo  these  men  declared  that  a  good  many 
of  the  boats  La  Barre  had  had  built  and 

217 


i 


r 


m     .^1111,1' 


y  h 


W  5 


218     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.    LAWRIINCE, 

charged  up  to  the  king  were  really  for 
his  own  use  in  the  fur  trade ;  but  little 
things  like  that  mustn't  be  made  too  much 
of  when  we  are  abridging  history. 

"  Well,  the  Iroquois  used  the  governor's 
permission  to  plunder  the  possessions  of  La 
Salle  and  his  friends,  and  as  they  were  not 
always  very  discriminating,  they  happened 
to  seize  the  cargoes  of  some  of  La  Barre's 
own  boats,  or  those  of  his  friends,  and  then 
the  mischief  was  to  pay.  Even  the  warmest 
supporters  of  the  new  governor  declared 
that  he  must  do  something  now.  It's 
strange  how  mv  more  eager  people  are 
when  they  feel  t.^c^o  their  own  pockets  are 
likely  to  suffer.  So  La  Barre  plucked  up 
corwage  and  boldly  started  in.  He'd  been 
writing  the  most  tender  letters  to  Louis, 
begging  for  more  soldiers,  all  the  time  he'd 
been  trying  to  cajole  the  Iroquois,  who,  as 
I  said,  were  all  the  while  laughing  at  him 
in  their  sleeves." 

"What  kind  of  sleeves  did  the  Iroquois 
Indians  wear  ?  "  inquired  Ben. 

Ignoring  the  question,  Bcb  continued: 
"  La  Barre  started  out  from  Montreal  with 
his  regulars,  and  was  joined  by  the  militia 
and  friendly  Indians  of  Canada,  who  were 


THE  boatman's  interest. 


219 


willing  to  help  him,  and  was  going  to  crush 
the  Iroquois.  They  had  canoes  and  flat- 
boats  and  various  other  boats,  and  at  last 
made  their  way  up  the  St.  Lawrence,  and 
stopped  at  Fort  Frontenac.  There  were 
several  hundred  of  the  Indians  with  him 
now,  and  altogether  his  army  must  have 
presented  a  glorious  sight.  The  regulars 
slept  in  huts,  and  the  militia  and  Indians 
in  wigwams  or  huts  of  bark ;  but  the  first 
thing  they  knew  a  fever  broke  out  among 
the  soldiers,  and  a  good  many  died,  and 
more  were  so  sick  that  they  were  not  good 
for  anything. 

"  This  didn't  improve  the  prospects  of 
La  Barre's  crushing  the  Iroquois,  and,  if 
you  would  believe  it,  he  sent  them  a  beg- 
ging letter,  asking  them  to  meet  him  in 
a  conference  at  the  mouth  of  the  Salmon 
River,  or  La  Famine,  as  the  French,  even 
then,  called  the  spot.  His  visions  of  a  big 
fight  were  all  gone." 

"They  call  it  The  Famine  to-e.  .y.  —  that 
is,  some  folks  do,"  said  Jed. 

"  Well,  La  Barre  moved  on  to  the  place 
with  some  of  his  woe-begone  soldiers,  and 
a  delegation  of  the  Indians  met  him  there. 
The  governor  put  on  airs,  and  talked  big 


il 


220    HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


I  I ! 


to  them  about  how  he  was  going  to  punish 
them  for  robbing  the  canoes  of  his  friends, 
and  all  that ;  but  he  couldn't  fool  the  Iro- 
quois, who  were  as  smart  as  he  was,  and 
found  out  just  exactly  how  all  the  matters 
stood.  Tho  leading  warrior  of  the  red  men 
was  a  chief  named  Big  Mouth,  and  if  you'll 
read  the  speech  he  made  (you  can  find  it 
in  the  histories),  you'll  see  that  he  was  as 
good  a  speaker  as  Ben  here, — and  that's  no 
small  praise,  I'd  have  you  know.  The  up- 
shot of  the  whole  affair  was,  that  after  their 
pow-wow  and  large  talk.  La  Barre  was  in 
a  worse  plight  than  ever,  and  that  after  a 
very  flimsy  truce  had  been  patched  up, 
he  went  back  to  Montreal,  leaving  his  sick 
soldiers  to  float  down  the  river  as  best  they 
could.  He  tried  to  rouse  the  friendly 
Indians  to  go  to  war  with  the  Iroquois, 
but  they'd  lost  confidence  in  La  Barre,  and 
didn't  feel  like  stirring  up  the  terrible  war- 
riors of  the  Iroquois.  Everybody  was 
laughing  at  the  poor  weak  *  popular '  gov- 
ernor, and  there's  no  knowing  what  the 
end  would  have  been,  if  he  hadn't  just  then 
been  recalled  by  Louis,  who  explained  that 
it  was  expecting  too  much  of  so  old  a  man 
to  handle  the  affairs  in  Canada,  when  they 


iiJi 


THE  boatman's  INTEREST. 


221 


were  in  such  a  state.  So  La  Bane,  like 
the  famous  soldier  who  with  his  men 
marched  up  the  hill  and  then  marched 
down  again,  sailed  back  ovor  the  ocean, 
a  saddei",  but  it  is  to  be  feared,  not  a  very 
much  wiser  man. 

"  The  next  man  to  be  appointed  was 
Denonville,  who  soon  afterwards,  with  his 
wife  and  a  part  of  his  family,  appeared  in 
New  France.  He  was  a  very  devout  man, 
and  spent  a  good  part  of  his  time  in  read- 
ing good  books  and  saying  his  prayers. 
That  was  all  right,  I  suppose,  but  it's  a 
good  thing  for  a  man  to  be  diligent  in 
business  as  well  as  fervent  in  spirit,  and 
though  Denonville  was  of  course  very  popu- 
lar with  the  Jesuits,  he  soon  showed  that 
he  wasn't  very  much  better  than  La  Barre 
in  his  ability  to  deal  with  the  Indians. 
You  see,  they'd  begun  to  appreciate  Fron- 
tenac  now,  and  a  good  many  were  longing 
for  him  to  be  back  in  the  place  which  he 
alone  could  fill. 

"  Denonville's  greatest  problem  now  was 
to  match  the  English  of  New  York,  who 
were  doing  their  very  best  to  make  the 
Iroquois  friendly  to  them,  and  acknowledge 
that  James  II.  was  their  lawful  king.     So 


m 


fii  i  i 


'  f: 


'■>->*t^;-,H''-i»«»"P-TC''''''  Tr  ' 


r 


I  ii 


222     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

the  governor  of  New  York  and  the  new 
governor  of  Canada  had  it  pretty  warm, 
and  from  the  best  I  can  learn  it  was  about 
six  in  one  and  a  half  dozen  in  the  other. 
I  don't  know  that  you'll  be  interested  in 
all  he  did ;  and  as  I  want  to  tell  you  about 
Frontenac,  I'll  try  to  condense  all  I  have  to 
say  as  to  Denonville  and  his  deeds." 

'*  Do  so,  my  friend.  You  can't  condense 
it  too  much  for  me,"  said  Een. 

"Keep  still,  Ben,"  said  Jock.  "We 
want  to  hear  about  this." 

"  Matters  kept  getting  warmer  and 
warmer.  Denonville  tried  to  hold  the  Ind- 
ians, and  the  Englishman  tried  to  get 
them.  The  quarrel  was  taken  up  on  the 
other  side  of  the  sea,  and  Louis  and  James, 
who  pretended  to  be  great  friends,  and  per- 
haps were,  after  a  fashion,  gave  instructions 
to  their  governors  to  stop  their  foolishness ; 
but  it's  pretty  clear  that  each  man  under- 
stood that  he  was  not  to  lose  any  of  the 
territory  his  king  claimed,  and  Denonville 
in  particular  was  instructed  to  keep  out  the 
English,  if  they  tried  to  push  their  way  into 
the  territory  claimed  by  the  French. 

"  The  French  governor  had  been  begging 
hard  for  more  troops,  and  some  were  sent 


THE  BOATMAN'S  INTEREST. 


223 


him,  though  not  so  many  as  lie  had  asked 
for  Canada  was  really  in  a  pretty  bad 
way  at  the  time ;  but  Denonville  decided 
to  begin  action;  not  only  against  the  Ind- 
ians, but  against  the  English  as  well.  So 
a  little  army  was  sent  up  north,  and  that 
did  do  considerable  damage  to  the  English 
trading-posts;  but  it  only  made  the  English- 
men at  large  still  more  furious,  and  the 
troubles  thickened  on  every  side. 

"  Just  at  this  time  each  governor  re- 
ceived a  letter  informing  him  that  he  must 
be  more  cautious,  for  James  and  Louis  had 
patched  it  up  again ;  but  the  words  didn't 
really  deceive  any  one,  after  all,  for  all 
knew  just  what  was  coming,  and  so  both 
sides  did  their  best  to  prepare  for  it.  De- 
nonville soon  afterward  mustered  the  mili- 
tia, and  decided  with  his  men  that  he  would 
do  something  to  show  that,  in  spite  of  his 
apparent  weakness,  he  was  still  the  ruler 
of  Canada.  I  haven't  time  to  give  you  all 
the  details,  but  he  took  a  few  Iroquois  pris- 
oners, treacherously,  too,  on  his  way  up  the 
St.  Lawrence.  When  at  last  he  left  Fort 
Frontenac  with  his  four  hundred  —  " 

^*  Four  hundred  ?  Was  there  a  ^  four 
hr-  Ted  '  in  those  days  ?  "  inquired  Bert. 


P, 
H 


WW-.   '.,"  "i":^'-  "'"W.'^wlTSWW-" ','  1?'.'.'  ii\i':t'7rT'TJ™'v''5aTp^T'^" 


224     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


f  V 


H    iM 


I  .i:  ' 


"  With  his  four  hundred  bateaux  and 
canoes  he  crossed  the  foot  of  Lake  Ontario 
and  moved  to  the  west,  close  to  the  south- 
ern shore.  He  was  going  out  West,  you 
see,  to  stir  up  the  Indians  who  had  once 
been  friendly  there,  and  get  them  to  join 
him  in  giving  the  Iroquois  a  good  lesson. 

"Well,  in  a  measure  he  succeeded,  to 
make  a  long  story  short,  and  then  he 
started  for  the  main  village  of  the  Senecas 
—  Babylon  they  called  it,  I  believe.  They 
had  a  great  fight  there,  though  the  Senecas 
had  heard  of  their  coming,  and  had  removed 
all  who  could  not  fight,  and  prepared  an 
ambush  for  their  advancing  foes.  In  this 
they  were,  in  a  measure,  successful;  and 
though  they  were  outnumbered,  they  did  a 
good  deal  of  damage  to  Denonville's  force, 
but  couldn't  entirely  stop  them.  His  sol- 
diers found  a  lot  of  hogs  and  green  corn  in 
or  near  the  Indian  village,  and  soon  made 
themselves  so  sick  with  their  feasting  that 
they  were  good  for  nothing.  However,  the 
governor  went  on  to  Niagara,  where  he 
made  what  he  called  a  fort,  but  he'd  made 
one  mistake.  His  Indian  allies  had  told 
him  that  by  simply  destroying  the  Seneca 
village  and  not  destroying  the  warriors  he 


jf-iifi 


THE  boatman's  INTEREST. 


225 


had  only  broken  into  a  hornet's  nest,  and  had 
left  the  hornets  free  to  put  in  their  fine  work." 

^'  T  thought  it  was  a  stinger  the  hornets 
used,"  said  Jed. 

"I  think  you're  correct,"  laughed  Bob, 
"  and  so  would  Denonville^  if  he  could  give 
as  his  opinion  now.  Well,  the  English  and 
all  the  Iroquois  were  furious  when  they 
learned  of  Denonville's  work,  and  trouble 
pretty  soon  came.  Canada  was  weak ;  the 
trade  in  furs  had  been  good  for  nothing  tor 
two  years;  the  Indians  who  had  been 
friendly  were  less  so  now;  the  soldiers 
were  sick,  and  the  little  forts  they  were 
holding  were  a  good  deal  more  like  hospi- 
tals than  anything  else. 

"Matters  came  to  a  head  when  the 
Iroquois  rallied  their  forces  and  friends, 
and  started  toward  Montreal  without  send- 
ing word  of  tlieir  coming.  They  robbed 
the  traders  on  their  way,  and  drank  their 
brandy,  so  that  if  the  authorities  in  and 
about  Montreal  had  bestirred  themselves, 
they  might  have  giveii  the  warriors  a  recep- 
tion they  would  have  remembered.  But 
that  was  the  very  thing  they  didn't  do. 
The  Iroquois  fell  on  the  settlements  near 
Montreal  and  defied  the  Frenchmen ;  killed, 


II 


u 


iv 


U 


i       V 


li 

ill 


iM' 


i! 


ri 


t  «■ 


iiii 


.  i  ii   s 


llllii 


1 


226     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

burned,  and  pillaged  to  their  heart's  con- 
tent, and  stayed  right  there,  if  you  will 
believe  it,  for  two  months  or  more. 

"  Finally,  having  gotten  pretty  much  all 
they  wanted,  and  frightened  the  people  of 
Montreal  so  that  '  they  were  wild  with  ter- 
ror,' they  took  to  their  canoes,  and  started 
toward  home.  As  they  left,  they  gave  a 
yell  for  every  prisoner  they  had  with  them, 
and  they  had  so  many  that  they  kept  on 
yelling  till  they  were  out  of  sight.  And 
all  the  time  poor  Denonville  couldn't  do  a 
thing  to  them,  and  was  afraid  for  his  life. 
Perhaps  it  was  a  comfort  to  him  when,  just 
about  that  time,  he  was  recalled  to  France, 
and  so  left  the  field  of  glory. 

"  This  was  Frontenac's  chance,  and  though 
he  was  an  old  man,  almost  seventy  years 
of  age,  King  Louis  appointed  him  again  as 
governor  of  New  France.  The  Jesuits  and 
everybody  were  so  frightened  now,  that  they 
were  not  inclined  to  rebel  very  much,  for  a 
tomahawk  and  scalping  knife  are  wonder- 
ful peacemakers,  I've  been  told.  Besides, 
the  trouble  with  the  English  was  becoming 
more  serious,  almost  as  serious  as  that  with 
the  Iroquois. 

"  You  may  remember  that  James  II.  had 


THE  BOATMAN  S  INTEREST. 


227 


left  the  English  throne  now,  and  William 
of  Orange  had  appeared  on  the  scene.  Of 
course  there  were  two  parties  in  England, 
and  the  English  colonies  were  also  divided 
in  their  sentiments ;  but  Louis  of  France 
never  loved  James  as  much  as  he  did  then. 
At  least  that's  what  he  said,  and  he  tried  to 
prove  it,  though  I'm  inclined  to  think  his 
main  thought  was  of  what  he  could  get  for 
France  in  the  New  World,  on  the  basis  of 
that  friendship.  At  all  events,  he  arranged 
it  with  Frontenac  to  fall  on  New  York,  and 
he  wasn't  to  mince  matters,  either,  when 
he  did,  though  those  people  there  who  were 
of  the  same  mind  as  the  king  religiously 
were  to  be  spared.  But  storms  prevented 
Frontenac  Trom  sailing  for  New  York,  so 
that  fell  through.  Then  he  planned  to  go 
up  Lake  Champlain  and  attack  Albany 
(or  Orange),  but  that  also  didn't  work. 
Then  Frontenac,  after  sending  word  to  the 
Iroquois  that  he,  the  great  ^  Onontio,'  had 
come  back,  and  would  expect  them  to 
follow  their  ^father,'  —  he  was  to  learn 
more  about  that  later,  —  made  his  plans  for 
three  expeditions  to  leave  Canada  from 
three  different  places,  and  attack  the  Eng- 
lish in  their  settlements. 


1 1 


¥\i 


^  I  t 


iliiiiil^ 


228     HOUSE' BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE, 

"  I'm  going  to  tell  you  about  these  after- 
ward, and  they're  great  stories,  too, 
especially  the  one  about  the  attack  on 
Schenectady.  All  I  want  to  call  your 
attention  to  now,  is  the  leader  of  the  New 
England  forces ;  for  they  were  drawn  into 
the  fight  too,  as  you  soon  shall  hear,  my 
children. 

*'  This  man  was  named  Phips." 

"  Good  name,  if  he  couldn't  get  any 
better,"    suggested   Ben. 

"  There  weren't  enough  to  go  around, 
for  he  was  one  of  twenty-six  children,  all 
having  the  same  father  and  mother,"  said 
Bob. 

*'  Whew !  What  a  show  they  must 
have  made  going  to  the  shoemaker's,"  said 
Ben.  "  They  advance  like  an  army  with 
banners." 

"He  was  a  poor  boy  — " 

"  A  poor  boy,  and  born  of  poor  but 
honest  parents?"  said  Ben. 

"  Yes,"  laughed  Bob,  "  but  he  was  an 
ambitious  chap,  and  said  he'd  have  one  of 
the  best  houses  in  Boston  before  he  died, 
and  he  did,  too.  He  tried  hard  for  a  while, 
and  only  did  fairly  well;  but  at  last  he 
thought  of  something  that  would  help  him 


THE  boatman's  INTEREST. 


229 


out.  He'd  heard  of  a  Spanisli  galleon 
wrecked  somewhere  off  the  West  Indies 
about  fifty  years  before  this  time,  so  Pliips 
went  to  England  with  the  story,  and  got 
some  men  to  fit  him  out  with  a  frigate,  and 
he  went  off  on  a  cruise  for  that  sunken 
gold.  One  day  his  crew  came  to  the 
quarter-deck  where  he  was,  every  man 
with  a  cutlas  in  his  hand,  and  wildly 
suggested  that  their  captain  should  turn 
pirate  with  them.  Phips,  who  was  a 
powerful  fighter,  went  at  them  with  his 
fists,  and  pretty  soon  they  all  agreed  that 
they'd  only  been  joking,  anyway,  and 
wouldn't  be  pirates  under  any  circumstances. 

'^  They  tried  it  again  not  long  afterward, 
and  changed  their  minds  again,  too,  very 
suddenly;  but  Phips  landed  at  Jamaica, 
and  exchanged  his  crew  for  better  men. 
But  the  frigate  was  leaking,  and  not  good 
for  much,  so  he  put  back  to  England.  The 
Duke  of  Albemarle  fitted  him  out  once 
more,  and  on  his  second  trip,  if  you'll 
believe  it,  he  found  the  sunken  galleon, 
and  got  out  of  her  more  than  three  hun- 
dred pounds  sterling  of  gold,  silver,  and 
jewels. 

"  Once  more  this  crew  banded  themselves 


r^irr 


.    P 


■  I 


W4  I 


230     HOUSE-BOAT  ON    TllK  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

together  to  seize  the  whole  thing,  and 
Phips  had  to  compromise  by  promising 
every  man  a  share ;  and  he  kept  his  word, 
too,  when  he  got  back  to  Enghind,  though 
his  own  share  was  about  sixteen  thousand 
pounds.  This  was  the  man  who  was  to 
lead  the  English  forces  in  the  New  World 
in  this  new  war.  And  that's  enough  for 
to-night." 

"  Oh,  more,  more  !  "  pleaded  Ben,  in  mock 
eagerness. 

As  Bob  rose,  he  perceived  that  Jed  was 
observing  him  with  a  strange  intensity. 
Impressed  by  the  sight.  Bob  was  about  to 
speak  to  him,  but  as  the  boatman  signed 
for  him  to  be  silent  and  follow  him  into 
the  woods  on  the  shore,  he  obeyed,  won- 
dering what  it  was  that  had  so  strongly 
ixcited  the  man. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


APPLIED    HISTORY. 


As  no  special  attention  was  given  to  Bob 
and  the  boatman,  their  departure  from  the 
house-boat  did  not  cause  any  of  the  com- 
pany to  follow  them,  and  withdrawing  to  a 
secluded  spot  farther  up  the  shore,  they 
soon  found  themselves  free  from  the  inter- 
ruptions or  pranks  of  their  companions. 

It  was  of  these  that  Bob  was  thinking; 
fur  Jed's  efforts  to  be  impressive  and  divert 
the  attention  of  the  other  boys  had  been  of 
a  kind  that  under  ordinary  circumstances, 
or  in  broad  daylight,  would  have  assuredly 
produced  the  very  opposite  effects,  and 
would  have  at  once  aroused  the  interest 
of  all.  As  it  was,  however.  Bob  speedily 
perceived  that  they  had  not  been  followed, 
and  seating  himself  on  the  top  of  a  high 
rock,  whose  sides  sloped  down  to  the  edge 
of  the  water,  he  began  to  break  the  stick  in 
his  hands  into  bits  which  he  cast  into  the 
river. 

281 


i    , 


'■f'Wr'9^ 


232     HO  USE- BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


n 


'i\ 


Wi,.,.>  ■'  * 


W' 


V!" 


His  thoughts  were  in  reality  far  more  of 
the  tale  he  had  just  been  telling  than  of  his 
own  immediate  surroundings ;  for  it  almost 
seemed  to  him  that  among  the  shadows  on 
the  river  he  could  himself  see  the  canoes  of 
the  savage  Iroquois  on  their  way  to  Mont- 
real, or  see  the  French  soldiers  as  they 
slowly  made  their  way  up  the  river  toward 
Fort  Frontenac.  Indeed,  it  was  almost  an 
unreal  world,  after  all,  and  past  and  pres- 
ent were  strangel3'  mingled.  There  were  a 
few  clouds  in  the  summer  sky,  and  the 
moon,  already  rising,  caused  them  to  as- 
sume fantastic  shapes ;  and  now  the  young 
historian  was  certain  that  he  could  see  the 
ghostly  outlines  of  a  Mohawk  warrior  in 
the  heavens,  and  even  make  out  the  toma- 
hawk he  was  carrying  in  his  hands.  Per- 
haps it  was  Big  Mouth  himself. 

To  add  to  the  fantastic  appearances  and 
deepen  the  impression  of  the  mingling  of 
fact  with  fancy,  and  things  unreal  with 
those  that  were  very  real,  the  summer  wind 
and  the  musical  notes  of  the  tree-toads 
united  in  their  evening  symphony.  Doubt- 
less the  same  music  had  been  heard  by 
those  warriors  of  the  ft\r-away  times,  and 
even  the  magnetic  Frontenac  himself  had 


im 


"?fpplp 


'RENCE. 

r  more  of 
lan  of  his 
it  almost 
adows  on 
canoes  of 
to  Mont- 

as  they 
jr  toward 
Imost  an 
md  pres- 
re  were  a 

and  the 
m  to  as- 
le  young 
d  see  the 
arrior  in 
he  toma- 
is.     Per- 

nces  and 
igling  of 
eal  with 
aer  wind 
ree-toads 
Doubt- 
leard  by 
nes,  and 
self  had 


APPLIED   nrSTORY. 


283 


probably  listened,  in  his  own  day,  to  the 
strains  of  a  similar  orchestra. 

Occupied  as  Bob  was  with  thoughts  like 
these,  he  had  almost  forgotten  the  presence 
of  the  boatman  ;  but  Jed  was  not  to  be 
ignored.  Taking  his  seat  beside  his  young 
companion,  he  said,  "  1  was  powerfully 
interested  in  what  you  was  a  tellin'  jest 
neow." 

"It  is  a  strange  story,"  replied  Bob, 
dreamily,  for  the  spell  had  not  yet  departed 
from  him ;  "  and  the  trouble  is,  that  I  can't 
seem  to  shake  it  off,  or  decide  just  when  the 
past  ends  and  the  present  begins." 

"  It's  the  same  way  with  me.  He  was  a 
great  chap,  was  that  man." 

"  Yes ;  Frontenac  was  a  bold  and  vigor- 
ous leader  of  men  —  I  don't  —  " 

"  You're  a  talkin'  abeout  one  man,  an'  I 
mean  another,"  said  Jed,  sharply. 

Bob  looked  up  in  surprise,  but  before  he 
spoke,  Jed  said,  "  You're  a  talkin'  abeout 
Frontenac,  but  I'm  a  thinkin'  o'  that  other 
fellow.     He  must  'a'  been  a  cute  one." 

"Who?" 

"  Pip." 

"  Pip  ?     You  mean  Phips,  don't  you  ?  " 

"Mebbe   that  was  his   name,  though  I 


284     nOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


wn- 


i  V  ! 


tSin ', ! 


it's   the 


thought  ye  said  Pip.  Anyway 
chap  what  went  off  deown  to  the  West 
Indies  an'  found  that  gallon  o'  gold.  I 
never  knew  afore  as  heow  they  measured 
gold  by  the  gallon.  'Tisn't  the  way  the' 
do  in  these  parts." 

"They  don't  anywhere,"  replied  Bob, 
soberly,  restraining  his  impulse  to  laugh. 
"  It  was  a  Spanish  galleon  —  a  ship  —  that 
was  sunk,  and  the  gold  they  found  ^vas  on 
board  of  her." 

"Oh,  that's  the  way  of  it,  w?s  it ? "  said 
Jed,  simply.  "  I  thought  'twas  a  mighty 
queer  way  o'  measurin'  gold ;  but  the  gold 
was  the  main  thing,  anyway.  Do  ye  know, 
it  set  me  to  thinkin'.     It  did,  for  a  fact." 

"  It  was  a  great  story,"  replied  Bob,  "  and 
if  it  wasn't  given  by  some  of  the  most 
reliable  historians,  one  would  almost  be 
inclined  to  believe  it  was  a  yarn,  like  many 
of  the  others  that  have  come  down  to  us." 

"That  wasn't  no  yarn,"  said  Jed,  de- 
ciH'^dly.  "  It  set  me  to  thinkin'  o'  some- 
thir'  Ise.  My  grandfather  used  to  tell  me 
that  somethin'  like  that  once  happened 
years  an'  years  ago,  deown  here  on  the  St. 
Lawrence,  an'  not  very  far  from  the  very 
place  where  we  now  are." 


APPLIED   HISTORY. 


286 


"Is  that  so?" 

Bob  spoke  slowly,  and  as  if  he  had  not 
really  heard  what  his  companion  was  say- 
ing. 

As  his   thoughts  were  dwelling  mainly 

upon  the  events  he  himself  had  been  relat- 
ing, perhaps  his  abstraction  was  not  sur- 
prising. Jed,  however,  wap  trpparently 
unmindful  of  it,  and  in  a  lo^er  .one,  and 
glancing  cautiously  about  hii  !  c*3  he  spoke, 
to  make  sure  that  he  was  not  overheard, 
he  said :  — 

"Yes,  sir,  the's  a  story  that  years  ago, 
away  back  in  this  French  and  Indian  War 
you've  been  tellin'  about  (perhaps  it  may 
have  been  this  very  man,  La  Barre,  you  was 
speakin'  of),  a  party  of  Frenchmen  had  been 
up  to  Frontenac  (the  fort  I  mean,  o'  course, 
and  not  the  man),  an'  after  makin'  a 
mighty  good  deal  in  furs,  put  eout  for  Mont- 
real again.  They  had  a  pile  o'  gold  on 
board,  —  most  a  gallon,  I'm  thinkin',  if  the 
story  is  all  right,  —  an'  they  had  some  can- 
norf  and  guns,  an'  lots  o'  other  weapons  an' 
things.  It  seems  when  they  got  along 
hereabeouts,  somewhere,  a  lot  o'  the  redskins 
or  Britishers  (I  don't  know  which)  took  after 
'em,  an'  for  a  time  there  was  the  liveliest 


'r  v^"^'?''?.''!  i'^^wr  I  '-■'■ ' 


236    HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


kind  of  a  race.  The  Frenchies  was  loaded 
up  so,  —  for  what  with  their  cannon  an' 
guns,  to  say  nothin'  o'  their  gallons  and 
gallons  o'  gold,  they  was  havin'  a  pretty 
good  pull  o'  it,  —  an'  the  other  fellows  kept 
a  gettin'  nearer  an'  nearer,  an'  finally  it 
looked  as  if  they'd  be  taken,  as  sure  as 
you're  born.  At  last,  when  they  see  the' 
wasn't  no  sort  o'  use  in  try  in'  to  get  away, 
they  dodged  in  an'  eout  for  a  spell,  among 
these  here  islands,  an'  at  last  they  got  so 
desperate  that  they  just  loaded  up  their 
cannon  with  the  gallons  o'  gold  they  had, 
an'  after  pluggin'  up  the  muzzles,  droppfid 
'em  overboard." 

"  Is  that  so  !  "  exclaimed  Bob. 

He  was  all  interest  now;  and  under  the 
circumstances  the  tale  did  not  appear  to  be 
in  the  least  unreasonable  to  him.  The 
shadows  were  still  on  the  river,  the  night 
wind  was  still  whispering,  and  the  chorus 
of  the  tree-toads  sounded  even  louder  than 
before.  The  story  Jed  had  just  told  seemed 
like  a  part  of  the  scene  itself,  and  Bob  was 
almost  ready  to  accept  it  as  true,  without 
further  questioning  or  investigations  of  his 
own. 

"  Yes,  sir,  it's  so,"  responded  Jed.     "  I've 


APPLIET)  HISTORY. 


237 


heard  the  story  hundreds  o'  times  when  I 
was  a  boy,  though  o'  late  years  it's  sunk 
into  oblivion,  so  to  speak.  Neow  I  was  a 
thinkin'  when  you  was  tellin  o'  Pip  —  " 

^'  Phips,  you  mean,"  interrupted  Bob. 

"Pip,  or  Phips,  or  whatever  his  name 
wsis.  I  was  thinkin'  if  he  could  go  off 
deown  to  the  West  Indies  an'  find  that  gal- 
lon o'  gold,  why  couldn't  we  look  abeout 
here  a  bit,  an'  mebbe  find  t'  ose  cannon 
shotted  with  gold  pieces.  My,  but  'twould 
be  good  luck ! "  he  added,  with  increasing 
excitement.  "  I'm  gettin'  tired  o'  bein'  a 
boatman.  Not  but  what  it  pays  purty  fair," 
he  added,  as  if  in  duty  bound  to  be  just; 
"  but  I've  got  a  mortgage  o'  one  hundred 
an'  eighty-three  dollars  an'  fifty  cents  on 
my  place,  an'  'twould  be  a  great  day  for 
me  if  I  could  jest  walk  right  up  and  plank 
deown  the  gold  for  that  'ere  encumbrance. 
My  woman  would  be  as  tickled  as  I'd  be,  too." 

"  Your  woman  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  woman,  my  wife  I  mean." 

"  Was  there  any  report  as  to  where  these 
cannon  were  dropped  in  the  river?"  in- 
quired Bob,  slowly. 

"Yes,  'twas  somewhere  abeout  these 
parts." 


gi.TBMC^.rrjKa'asra'j'Ty-'r 


m 


hs 


Iffi-; 


238     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

"  You  don't  know  just  where  ?  " 

"No,  I  don't.  If  I  did,  I  wouldn't  'a' 
told  you  abeout  it." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Bob,  quickly.  "  But  I 
should  have  thought  the  Frenchmen  would 
have  come  back  afterward  and  got  the 
cannon." 

"  So  should  I ;  but  the  story  is,  they  didn't. 
You'd  'a'  thought  those  pirates  would  'a' 
gone  back  an'  got  that  gallon  o'  gold  what 
Phips  took,  too." 

"  Yes,  so  I  should.  Didn't  anybody  ever 
try  to  find  these  cannon?" 

"I  b'lieve  they  did  try.  Leastwise, 
that's    the    way   the    old    story   used    to 


run. 


>> 


"  Didn't  they  ever  find  them  ?  Didn't 
they  get  anything  ? " 

'^  I  b'lieve  they  did ;  but  that's  only  a 
part  o'  the  story,  an'  p'raps  'tisn't  so.  Ye 
can't  b'lieve  everything  ye  hear." 

"  Perhaps  you  can't  trust  the  story  about 
the  cannon  being  sunk,  too." 

"  Oh,  I  guess  that's  all  true  enough.  My 
grandfather  used  to  say  it  was  true,  an'  he 
knew  what  he  was  talkin'  abeout.  But 
even  if  some  folks  did  look  for  the  place, 
an'  even  if  they  did  find  some  o'  the  can- 


APPLIED   TTISTORT. 


239 


non,  it  doesn't  mean  that  they  got  the 
whole  of  the  gold,  does  it?" 

"  Perhaps  not,"  replied  Bob,  thoughtfully. 
"  And  you  really  think,  do  you,  Jed,  that 
some  of  the  shotted  cannon  are  still  here  ?  " 

"I  haven't  no  sort  o'  doubt  o'  it,"  re- 
sponded Jed,  firmly. 

"And  you'd  like  to  have  us  boys  try  to 
find  it  ?     Is  that  what  you  mean  ?  " 

'<  Not  much,  I  don't." 

"What  do  you  mean,  then?  Why  did 
you  tell  me  about  it?" 

"  Because  you  was  the  one  who  knew 
about  Pip  finding  his  gallon  o'  gold,  an'  I 
thought  likely  you'd  know  heow  'twas  done, 
an'  mebbe  together  we'd  work  eout  some 
sort  o'  scheme  here.  I'd  jest  like  to  find 
that  gold !  My !  Jest  s'pose  we  should 
get  a  thousand  dollars !  I'd  say  good-by  to 
that  there  mortgage  o'  mine  quicker'n 
shootin'." 

"  Have  you  ever  said  anything  to  Ethan 
about  it  ?  " 

"Ethan!  Ethan!  Well  I  rather  guess 
not.  If  I'd  a  thought  as  heow  you'd  ever 
'a'  mentioned  it  to  him,  I'd  'a'  bit  my 
tongue  off  afore  I'd  'a'  told  you  a  word  on 
it.     I  would,  jest  as  trew's  you're  born." 


u 


I 


*^,         ,-  ^ 


I  '  t 


ffi 


I'' 
if'i 


240    HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

"I  shan't  mention  it,  of  course,  if  you 
don't  wish  me  to,"  replied  Bob.  **  Hiive  you 
any  suggestion  or  plan,  Jed  ? " 

"Not  much.  I  hadn't  thought  o'  th^ 
story  for  years  an'  years  till  I  heard  you 
tellin'  abeout  Pip  to-night,  an'  somehow  that 
brung  it  all  up  to  me ;  an'  I  was  thinkin' 
if  Pip  could  sail  off  to  the  West  Indies 
an'  get  a  whole  gallon  o'  gold,  why  —  why 
couldn't  we  take  a  look  hereabeouts,  as  long 
as  we  was  here  already,  an'  mebbe  we'd 
find  somethin'  or  other  ?  If  nobody  don't 
know  nothin'  abeout  it  except  you  an'  me, 
nobody's  chicken  roost  is  goin'  to  be  dis- 
turbed if  we  don't  get  nothin'  but  our 
trouble  for  our  pains.     See  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  see.  But  have  you  any  plan, 
Jed  ?  What  do  you  think  is  the  best  thing 
to  do?" 

"  I  was  a  thinkin',"  replied  Jed,  "  that  if 
somehow  you  and  me  could  get  together 
to-morrow  —  " 

"  To-morrow  is  Sunday.  We  don't  fish 
on  Sunday." 

"Well,  the  next  day,  then,"  responded 
Jed.  "  One  day'll  do  as  well  as  another, 
I  s'pose.  If  you  could  somehow  fix  it  so't 
we'd  go  out  together,  why  we  could  cruise 


APPLIED  HISTORY. 


241 


abeout  a  bit  while  we  was  fisliin',  an'  keep 
an  eye  on  the  bottom  o'  the  river  along  the 
shore  o'  some  o'  these  islands ;  and  jest  as 
likely's  not,  the  first  thing  ye  know  we'd 
spy  the  muzzle  o'  a  cannon  a  peekin'  up  at 
us,  an'  jest  beggin'  on  us  to  relieve  it  o'  the 
gallon  o'  gold  it  had  been  carryin'  all  these 
years." 

"  If  the  cannon  is  really  there,"  said  Bob, 
"it  must  have  been  there  for  more  than 
two  hundred  years.  You  haven't  any  idea, 
have  you,  Jed,  that  it  wouldn't  be  all  cov- 
ered up  now  ?  I'm  afraid  we  shouldn't  be 
able  to  see  it,  even  if  it  should  be  there  as 
you  say." 

"  That  may  be  true  in  part,"  assented 
Jed.  "  P'raps  a  big  part  o'  the  gun  might 
be  covered  up ;  but  jest  s'pose  the  muzzle 
was  not !  Jest  s'pose  we  should  happen  to 
see  it!  Ye  mustn't  forget  Pip's  gallon  o' 
gold !  Very  likely  his  cannon  was  covered 
up,  too,  but  he  got  'em." 

"  His  weren't  cannon,"  said  Bob.  "  He 
found  a  galleon." 

"I  don't  care  what  'twas.  He  did  it, 
anyway;  an'  we  can  try,  can't  we?" 

"  Yes,  we  can  try,"  assented  Bob,  as  he 
rose  to  his  feet. 


Pf 


,«!^W',«y»f,JT,»^P^P»p 


|l      'S 


242     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


:.   M 


m 


m 


There  was  no  resisting  the  conviction  and 
enthusiasm  of  the  boatman,  even  if  Bob 
had  been  inclined  to,  which  he  was  not. 
The  combination  of  circumstances  had  made 
him  ready  to  accept  the  conclusions  of  his 
comrade,  and  in  his  heart  he  was  eager  to 
begin  the  search.  "  We'll  have  to  go  back 
to  the  house-boat,"  he  said,  "or  the  boys 
will  be  out  hijre  looking  for  us,  and  they'll 
find  out  what  we're  planning  to  do." 

In  a  few  minutes  they  arrived  at  the 
house-boat,  when  they  were  hailed  by  Bert, 
who  said :  "  Where  have  you  been.  Bob  ? 
What  are  you  and  Jed  up  to  now  ?  " 

*^  I've  been  viewin'  the  scenery  an' 
tellin'  history,"  said  Jed,  solemnly. 

"  That's  what  Ethan's  been  doing,  too," 
said  Bert.  "  He  says  there  was  once 
some  cannon  shotted  with  gold,  and  sunk 
here  in  the  river.  Your  story  of  Phips 
made  him  think  of  it." 

"  Is  that  so  ?  "  said  Bob,  quietly. 

"  Yes ;  he  says  the  Frenchmen,  or  some- 
body, sunk  some  here  one  time.  It 
would  be  a  great  thing  if  we  could  find 
them,  wouldn't  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  think  it  would,"  was  all  the 
reply  that  Bob  made. 


APPLIED   HISTORY. 


243 


The  subject  was  then  dropped,  but  Bob 
felt,  rather  than  saw,  that  Jed  was  greatly 
disturbed  by  what  he  had  just  heard, 
though  there  was  no  opportunity  to  speak 
to  him  until  just  before  all  retired  for  the 
night.  Then  the  boatman  drew  near  Bob, 
and,  unobserved  by  the  others,  said  in  a 
low  whisper :  — 

« That's  jest  like  Ethan.  He's  spoiled 
the  whole  thing." 

"  Oh,  no,  he  hasn't." 

"  What  makes  you  think  so  ?" 

"The  boys  aren't  thinking  of  what  he 
said  at  all.  Just  keep  still,  and  we'll  have 
a  chance  Monday  morning  to  do  some- 
thing." 

"  Don't  say  anything  about  it,  then." 

"  Not  a  word." 

"  We'll  beat  'em  yet,"  whispered  Jed, 
his  confidence  apparently  having  returned 
in  full  force.  "  I'd  be  most  willin'  to  give 
up  the  gallon  o'  gold,  jest  for  the  sake  o' 
beatin'  Ethan.     Good  night." 

"Good  night,"  responded  Bob,  as  he 
made  his  way  to  his  sleeping  quarters. 

As  he  thought  over  the  events  of  the 
evening,  he  was  troubled  far  more  than  he 
had  cared  for  Jed  to  know.     He  was  by  no 


244    nousE-iiOAT  on  the  st.  Lawrence. 


rii': 


means  positive  that  the  other  boys,  and 
even  Ethan  himself,  had  no  thought  of 
making  a  search  for  the  buried  treasure. 
There  was  but  one  skiff  now,  and  for  a 
time  a  part  of  the  company  would  be 
compelled  to  remain  on  the  house-boat 
while  the  others  were  gone.  What  could 
be  done,  was  a  perplexing  problem ;  and 
when  at  last  Bob  fell  asleep,  no  solution 
had  been  found. 


U        5    '*! 


[Jii: 


!  I 


CHAPTER  XX. 


THE   LOST    CA-NNON. 


The  quiet  of  the  intervening  Sunday 
was  greatly  enjoyed  by  all  the  members  of 
our  party,  for  the  excitement  through  which 
they  had  recently  passed  had  made  the 
break  doubly  pleasing.  The  very  river 
itself  also  seemed  to  share  in  the  calmness 
of  the  day,  and  the  waters  among  the 
islands  were  almost  like  glass.  Strife, 
struggle,  and  excitement  of  all  kinds  were 
in  no  way  to  be  thought  of,  in  the  midst  of 
such  surroundings,  and  ''  the  natural  way  of 
living  "  was  uppermost  in  the  minds  of  all. 
There  are  times  when  such  breaks  in  the 
struggles  of  school  and  the  larger  arena 
outside  the  college  walls  are  greatly  enjoyed 
by  even  the  most  energetic  of  men ;  but  the 
"  natural  "  life,  after  all,  is  not  that  which 
is  free  from  the  stronger  contests  that  come 
to  all  true  men.  A  vacation,  to  be  enjoyed 
to  the  uttermost,  must  not  only  be  a  rest 

245 


:: 


f 


m 


li-i 


¥i? 


ill: 


246     UOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST,   LAWRENCE. 

from  labor,  but  a  rest  for  labor;  and  the 
"  saint  "  is  not  he  who  withdraws  from  the 
anxieties  and  burdens  of  the  struggle  for 
existence,  but  he  who  remains  in  the 
contest  and  quits  himself  like  a  man. 
Sometimes  to  live  and  do  the  right  is  as 
great  a  test  of  the  martyr  and  saintlike 
spirit  as  it  is  to  die  for  the  truth. 

Perhaps  no  such  abstract  thoughts  were 
in  the  minds  of  the  boys  in  the  house-boat, 
and  certainly  they  never  once  thought  of 
the  martyr  or  the  saint,  though  they  were 
in  a  region  hallowed  by  the  names  of  both. 
They  were  too  happy,  and  life  to  them  pre- 
sented as  yet  so  few  of  its  serious  aspects, 
that  they  would  not  have  understood  what 
any  one  meant,  had  he  tried  to  teach  them 
of  these  things.  They  were  simply  straight- 
forward, upright,  manly  young  fellows, 
abounding  with  life,  and  a  surplus  of 
healthy  animal  spirits ;  and  the  good  time 
for  which  they  had  come  was  not  clouded 
by  visions  or  thoughts  of  the  unknown 
burdens  which  coming  days  might  bring  to 
each  of  them. 

With  the  coming  of  Monday  morning, 
there  also  came  the  returning  zeal  which 
had  marked  them  in  the  preceding  days. 


THE  LOST  CANNON. 


247 


Bob,  who  had  been  thinking  innch  of  the 
story  of  the  sunken  cannon,  had  become 
more  impressed  with  the  possibility  of  dis- 
covering their  whereabouts ;  but  he  had 
made  no  reference  to  his  convictions  or 
conchisions  to  his  friends.  It  was  not  that 
he  did  not  wish  them  to  share  with  him  in 
the  prize,  if  possible  success  should  crown 
the  search  he  now  was  determined  to  make  ; 
it  was  rather  the  uncertainty  of  the  entire 
matter,  and  the  certainty,  as  he  thought, 
that  Ben  and  Bert  would  make  sport  of  the 
story  and  project  alike.  And,  indeed,  there 
were  moments  when  even  Bob  himself 
would  feel  inclined  to  look  at  the  affair  in 
that  way,  also.  Doubtless  it  was  but  a 
tradition  or  fireside  tale  that  the  grand- 
fathers of  another  generation  had  concocted, 
or  had  magnified  the  vague  rumors  which 
had  come  down  from  the  early  days,  when 
Frontenac  and  his  men  had  sailed  over  the 
waters  of  the  majestic  St,  Lawrence.  If 
the  cannon  really  had  been  shotted  with 
gold  coin  and  cast  into  the  river,  it  was 
but  natural  to  conclude  that  they  had  been 
found  again  by  the  men  who  had  first 
concealed  them. 

And  yet,  there  was  the  story  of  Phips, 


««^W-W"W1««!^»J^^ 


fitt 


f  p? 


J  I " 


m    '  E 


ri 


,, ,    I 


m 


1 
i 

_i 

i 

1 

i 

] 

1 

1 

■ 

1 

\  m 

H 

1 

■{  ^H 

1 

1 

mi 

i 

ll 

248     nOUSE-BOAT  ON    rilE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

vouched  for  by  the  most  careful  of  histori- 
ans, and  the  marvellous  success  which  had 
crowned  his  efforts,  after  repeated  and  the 
most  discouraging  of  failures.  Without 
doubt,  all  that  might  be  said  against  the 
probability  of  finding  the  lost  cannon  in  the 
St.  Lawrence  might  have  been  urged 
with  equal  justice  against  the  attempt  of 
Phips  and  his  piratical  crew.  But  there 
was  the  one  statement  which  could  neither 
be  gainsaid  nor  explained  away,  and  that 
was,  that  he  had  succeeded ;  the  sunken 
galleon  had  been  found,  and  the  lost  gold 
and  jewels  recovered.  If  Phips  had  suc- 
ceeded, why  might  not  others  succeed  also  ? 
And  every  time,  when  the  misgivings  arose. 
Bob  would  return  to  the  one  result  recorded 
in  the  old  records,  and  that  was  that  Phips 
had  really  found  the  lost  valuables. 

So  Bob  every  time  would  resolve,  though 
his  better  judgment  would  not  fail  to 
assert  itself  in  opposition,  that  what  had 
once  been  done  might  be  done  again.  To 
all  these  things  the  calm,  unbroken  con- 
viction of  Jed  was  at  once  a  consolation 
and  aid  ;  and  when  Monday  morning  came, 
as  we  have  said.  Bob  was  ready,  and  even 
eager,  to  follow  out  anything  the  sturdy 
boatman  was  inclined  to  propose. 


THE  LOST  CANNON, 


249 


to 
had 
To 
con- 
ation 
;ame, 
even 
iurdy 


Whatever  was  undertaken  must  be  done 
secretly;  and  the  fact  that  but  one  skiff  was 
now  in  the  possession  of  the  boys  presented 
a  phase  of  the  problem  that  could  not  be 
ignored,  for  the  present,  at  least.  As  soon 
as  the  four  boys  were  seated  at  the  break- 
fast table,  Ethan  said  :  — 

^'  What's  goin'  to  be  done  to-day  ?" 

'^  That's  just  wdiat  I  was  thinking  of, 
Ethan,"  rejplied  Tock.  "  There  are  several 
fish  yet  in  the  river,  if  I'm  not  mistaken, 
and  I  thought  the  fellows  would  probably 
want  to  try  the  fishing  again.  We're  going 
to  have  a  good  day,  aren't  we  ?  " 

*'  Pretty  fair,  pretty  fair,"  responded 
Ethan,  who  under  few  circumstances  could 
be  entrapped  into  making  a  positive  state- 
ment. ''  But  vo  haven't  but  one  skiff.  I 
thought  mebbe  ye'd  like  to  have  me  start 
ouc  with  that,  an'  see  if  I  could  hear  any- 
thing about  the  other  one." 

^'  Have  you  any  idea  that  you  really  could 
get  the  other  boat  ?  " 

^^  Can't  say  as  to  that.  I  might  be  able, 
an'  then  again  1  mightn't.  It's  all  uncer- 
tain, an'  nobody  knows   nothin'  abeout  it." 

*'  If  I  thought  it  could  be  found,"  said 
Jock,  thoughtfully,  "  of  course  I  should  say, 


ill! 


250     HOUSE-BOAT  ON    THE  ST.    LAWnEXCE. 

go  and  search  for  it.  We  don't  want  to 
lose  it,  of  course ;  and  then  we  need  two  all 
the  time  now." 

"I'll  tell  ye  what  to  do,"  said  Jed. 
"You  jest  let  me  an'  Bob  take  this  skiff, 
an'  we'll  go  abeout  among  these  islands  an' 
see  what  we  can  see ;  an'  if  we  don't  see 
nothin',  an'  can't  find  any  one  what's  seen 
or  heard  of  the  skiff,  why,  we'll  put  over 
to  the  main  shore  an'  see  if  we  can't  hire 
a  skiff  for  a  few  days.  That  is,  if  all  this 
is  agreeable  to  you.  'Tisn't  f  jr  me  to  say, 
o'  course." 

"  But  your  hands  aren't  in  any  condition 
for  you  to  row,"  said  Jock. 

"  Never  ye  mind  abeout  my  ban's,"  re- 
plied Jed,  quickly.  "  They  was  only 
scratched  a  bit,  an'  'tisn't  as  if  I'd  have  to 
row  hard.  We'll  take  it  easy,  and  the  cur- 
rent will  be  abeout  all  w^e  want.  Then,  if  I 
find  that  it's  too  much  for  me.  Bob  here 
will  rest  me  a  space,  and  take  his  turn." 

"  I'll  be  very  glad  to  do  that,"  responded 
Bob,  speaking  slowly,  as  he  perceived  what 
Jed's  design  was.  Nevertheless,  in  order 
to  prevent  his  companions  from  concluding 
that  he  was  too  eager  to  go,  he  said  :  "  But 
what'll  the  other  fellows   be  doing  while 


HfflfflM 


qwgnBMi^i"iaHBiH 


THE  LOST  CANNON. 


251 


I'm  gone  ?  I  don't  want  to  leave  them  here 
with  nothing  to  do  but  watch  the  scenery." 

"  Oh,  they'll  be  all  right.  They  can  take 
their  rods  and  still-fish,  or  we  can  take  the 
house-boat  out  an'  anchor  it  in  a  good  spot, 
an'  you  can  fish  from  the  deck.  You  don't 
always  have  to  troll  to  make  the  best 
catches,  an'  you  don't  always  have  to  keep 
areound  the  shoals  to  find  the  biggest  bass. 
Many's  the  time  —  " 

"  Jed  !  Jed  Bates  !  "  interrupted  Ethan, 
sharply,  glaring  at  his  comrade  as  he  spoke. 

'^  I  don't  care,"  retorted  Jed,  quickly. 
"Ye  can't  scare  me  with  your  looks, Ethan. 
If  ye  could,  I'd  'a'  been  a  ravin'  lunatic 
long  afore  this.  I'm  not  a  bit  scared  to 
tell  the  boys.  They  won't  take  no  advan- 
tage o'  it." 

"  Take  advantage  of  what  ?  "  said  Jock. 
^'  We  don't  want  to  take  advantage  of  any- 
body.   I  don't  understand  what  you  mean." 

"  I  mean  jest  what  I'm  sayin',"  replied 
Jed,  warmly.  "  Sometimes  the  biggest  bass 
don't  grow  where  the  boatmen  make  ye 
think  they  be.  It's  busiiKiss  with  them, 
that's  jest  what  'tis ;  and  I'm  not  sayin'  it 
isn't  all  fair  enough  for  to  protect  yerselves. 
I  do  it,  an'  I'd  do  it  in  a  minute  neow,  only 


rT 


W^'""^ 


262     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LA  WHENCE. 

I'm  not  a  bit  afraid  o'  you  boys  givin' 
us  away." 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  need  to  protect 
yourselves  from  us,"  said  Bob. 

"  Jed !  Jed  Bates,  ye've  said  enough  ! 
Jest  keep  still,  will  ye  ?  'Twill  be  a  treat 
to  the  whole  o'  us,  jest  to  hear  yer  silence." 
Ethan  spoke  appeal ingly,  reproachfully  the 
boys  thought,  and  their  own  confusion  was 
naturally  increased.  Not  one  of  them  un- 
derstood the  cause  of  Ethan's  evident  anxi- 
ety. 

^'  I'm  not  a  goin'  to  keep  still,"  replied 
Jed.  '*  Jest  s'pose  ye  try  it  yerself,  Ethan, 
though  I  know  ye  couldn't  do  it.  What  I 
was  a  sayin'  was  jest  this,"  he  continued. 
"  Ye  hear  everybody,  includin'  the  boatmen, 
a  sayin'  as  heow  ye  jest  have  to  fish  for 
bass  off  the  shoals,  an'  have  to  troll,  too. 
Well,  the'  is  bass  on  the  shoals.  I'm  not 
disputin'  that ;  but  that  doesn't  mean  that's 
the  only  place  they  grow,  does  it?  Not 
much !  The's  holes  an'  deep  water  where 
they  grows,  too,  only  ye  see  the  fishin'  is 
the  business  o'  lots  o'  us;  an'  if  we  told  the 
folks  we  took  eout  there  they  '^-ould  catch 
jest  as  many,  or  more,  if  the'  was  to  fish  in 
deep  water,  an'  still-fish  at  that,  wh}^,  our 


-mi 


m, 


ff^'n 


^*4 


^mmm 


mgrnmamtUKtm 


THE  LOST  CANNON. 


253 


trade'd  be  gone  in  a  minute.  An'  so  we 
jest  have  to  keep  up  'pearances,  ye  see,  an' 
keep  folks  a  trollin'." 

"  I  didn't  know  you  could  ever  catch 
bass  in  deep  water,"  said  Ben. 

"  Well,  ye  can.  Only  last  week  I  went 
eout  alone,  one  day,  an'  dropped  two  or 
three  lines  in  a  certain  deep  hole  which  I 
happen  to  know,  an'  some  folks  don't,"  and 
Jed  glanced  proudly  at  Ethan  as  he  spoke. 
*'  Well,  I  had  a  little  perch  for  bait,  an'  the 
fust  thing  I  knew  I  had  a  strike,  an' 
yanked  up  a  leetle  bass  what  wasn't  big 
enough  to  swaller  the  perch.  The  leetle 
rascal  hung  on,  though ;  an'  when  I  threw 
him  back  into  the  water,  —  I  never  b'lieve 
in  keepiii'  the  leetle  ones,  for  I  always 
throw  'em  back,  an'  leave  'em  to  grow  up 
an'  be  big  ones  by  an'  by,  —  I  made  up  my 
mind  as  lieow  that  little  fellow's  pa  an'  ma 
wouldn't  on  no  account  let  him  be  eout 
alone,  an'  so  I  concluded  they  must  be  near 
by,  too.  Well,  sir,  if  ye'll  b'lieve  me,  in 
less'n  half  a  hour  I  had  caught  four  bass 
there  what  weighed  more'n  twenty  pounds. 
Yes,  sir,  I  did,  for  a  fact ;  an'  it  was  in  deep 
water,  too.  No  shoal  nor  nothin'  o'  the 
kind." 


■m 


m& 


1 


tel 


254     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

"  Jed,  was  7011  a  fishin'  with  a  rod  an'  a 
line  in  the  hai.d  ?  "  inquired  Ethan,  sharply. 

"You  didn't  need  to  ask  no  such  ques- 
tion's that,"  retorted  Jed,  though  for  some 
reason  which  the  boys  could  not  under- 
stand his  countenance  instantly  fell,  and 
it  was  evident  that  Ethan's  unexpected 
question  had  somewhat  disconcerted  his 
rival.  "  I'm  only  a  tellin'  what  can  be 
done  in  deep  water,  if  a  man  is  familiar 
enough  with  the  river  to  know  where  to 
go,"  he  continued,  with  an  attempt  to  keep 
up  his  boldness,  which  somehow  seemed  to 
have  deserted  him. 

"  That's  worth  lookin'  into,"  said  Ethan. 
"  I  think  I'll  have  to  ask  Hat  Heath  if  he 
knows  anything  abeout  it." 

"  Ye'd  better  ask  him ;  an'  while  ye' re 
abeout  it,  ye'd  better  ask  all  o'  the  other 
game  constables,  too,  if  they  can't  help  ye 
to  find  the  places  in  the  St.  Lawrence  where 
the  bass  grow.  Ye  won't  be  the  first  one 
what's  done  that.  Some  gets  thoiv  llviu' 
that  way,  accordin'  to  reports  I  hear." 

"  I  don't  have  to  ask  no  game  constable 
to  tell  me  where  to  find  bass,"  retorted 
Ethan,  angrily,  instantly  made  to  forget 
his  threat  by  the  taunt.     "  I  thought  you 


i.k 


THE  LOST  CANNON. 


255 


one 
via' 


an'  Bob  here  was  a  goin*  to  take  the  skiff 
an'  see  if  ye  couldn't  hear  somethin'  or 
other  abeout  the  other  one." 

"  So  we  be,"  replied  Jed,  instantly  rising, 
and  winking  shrewdly  at  Bob  as  he  passed 
him  to  launch  the  skiff. 

Bob  quickly  followed  ;  but  before  he  took 
his  seat  Jed  returned  to  the  house-boat,  and 
brought  with  him  one  of  the  long  cedar 
poles  which  was  used  to  catch  large  min- 
nows. Ethan  eyed  the  boatman  keenly ; 
but  whatever  may  have  been  his  thoughts, 
he  did  not  express  them,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  Jed  and  Bob  set  forth  on  their 
expedition. 

As  soon  as  they  were  out  of  sight,  the 
boatman  said:  *'I  didn't  know  whether 
we'd  make  it  or  not,  for  I  was  afraid  we 
couldn't  get  away  witliout  their  suspectin* 
us,  aeein'  as  heow  we  had  only  t»ne  skiff 
now.  But  Ethan  vnHis  to  my  [iiiit  just  as 
well  as  a  pickerel  takes  a  frog.  There's 
more'n  one  kind  o'  fishin',  and  there's 
more'n  one  kind  o'  bait,"  he  added  sagely. 

^^Wliat  do  you  mean  ?"  inquired  Bob. 

ii  Why,  when  I  began  to  talk  abeout  still- 
fishin'  for  bass  in  deep  water,  he  thought  I 
was  goin'  to  let  on  more'n  I  intended  to 


5t£ 


inx 


■HPiPH!!! 


wmmm 


Ef'> 


'Mr 


11 
III' 


Mr 


I 


l| 


i^^BI 


riii 


■I 

7i    ' 


r  i 


iifS 


256     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LAWRENCE, 

abeout  the  secrets  o'  our  trade.  He  needn't 
'a'  been  scared,  for  I  don't  propose  to  tell 
all  I  know.  Not  much!  1  jest  let  on 
enough  to  scare  him,  an'  he  was  mighty 
glad  to  have  us  take  the  skiff  an'  clear 
eout  afore  more  damage  was  did." 

As  Bob  laughed  heartily,  now  that  he 
understood  the  device  of  the  boatman,  Jed 
said :  ^'  Neow  keep  a  good  lookout,  an' 
mebbe  we'll  see  somethiu'  o'  them  cannon. 
If  ye  see  anything  that  looks  like  gold,  jest 
call  eout." 

Bob  looked  over  the  side  of  the  boat  into 
the  clear  depths  below.  Rocks  and  logs 
could  be  discerned  almost  as  clearly  as  if 
they  had  been  on  land.  Occasionally  a  fish 
could  be  seen  darting  swiftly  away  at  their 
approach.  The  clear,  beautiful  water  evi- 
dently had  no  secrets  it  desired  to  conceal ; 
and  full  of  eagerness  the  lad  entered  into 
the  spirit  of  the  search,  and  maintained  a 
careful  lookout  on  the  bottom  of  the  river, 
as  the  skiff  moved  slowly  down  the  stream. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


A    CRITICAL   MOMENT. 


iver, 


When  a  brief  time  had  elapsed,  at  the 
suggestion  of  the  boatman  Bob  let  out  a 
line,  and  hoMing  the  rod  in  his  hands,  still 
continued  to  gaze  through  the  clear  waters 
at  the  bottom  of  the  river.  Not  even  when 
several  times  he  succeeded  in  land  in  o-  the 
fish  which  seemed  to  be  eager  for  their 
breakfast,  did  his  interest  become  diverted 
from  the  search  he  was  making. 

Several  times  the  sight  of  a  half  con- 
cealed log  or  a  peculiarly  shaped  rock  made 
him  think  that  he  had  spied  a  cannon  ;  but 
every  time  a  closer  inspection  revealed  his 
mistake,  and  the  skiff  moved  slowly  for- 
ward, guided  by  the  oars  which  Jed  man- 
aged with  consummate  skill,  in  spite  of  the 
condition  of  his  hands. 

For  an  hour  conversation  flagged,  so  in- 
tent were  both  men  upon  the  main  object 
of  their  coming.     The  sun  was  by  this  time 

267 


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258     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

well  up  ill  the  eastern  sky,  and  the  promise 
of  the  early  morning  that  the  day  would 
be  excessively  warm  was  being  freely  veri- 
fied. The  breeze  had  all  died  away,  and 
the  water  was  almost  motionless,  save  for 
the  strong  silent  current  which  bore  all 
things  onward  with  its  resistless  power. 
Even  the  beauties  of  the  scenery  were 
without  power  to  charm  now,  and  the 
search  for  gold,  which  under  various  dis- 
guises becomes  such  an  engrossing  pursuit 
to  many  men,  had  asserted  its  influence  in 
the  region  from  which,  to  all  appearances, 
such  matters  had  been  banished. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  hour,  when 
nothing  had  been  discovered  that  afforded 
any  promise  of  success,  Jed  said,  "  I  de- 
clare !  I'd  'most  forgot  what  we  came  for. 
We've  got  to  go  through  the  motions  of 
lookin'  for  that  skiff,  though  I  haven't  any 
idee  we  shall  find  hide  or  hair  of  it.  But 
'twon't  do  to  go  back  without  havin'  some- 
thing to  say,  anyway." 

'*  That's  right,  Jed,"  responded  Bob,  sit- 
ting quickly  erect  as  he  spoke.  ''We  might 
as  well  give  up  this  fool's  errand,  first  as 
last." 

"  I'm  not  say  in'  it's  a  fool's  errand,"  re- 


A   CHTTTCAL   MOMENT, 


259 


re- 


plied Jed.  "  I  didn't  expect  we'd  find  the 
spot  first  off.  We'll  have  to  make  some 
inquiries  abeout  that  'ere  skiff,  I  s'pose  ;  but 
we  don't  need  to  give  up  lookin'  for  the 
cannon." 

The  sight  of  a  party  of  three  men  fishing 
from  some  rocks  on  the  shore  caused  the 
boatman  to  send  the  skiff  swiftly  toward 
them,  and  as  it  came  near,  he  said :  — 

"Have  any  o'  you  men  heard  tell  on  a 
skiff  floatin'  deown  the  river  night  afore 
last  ?  " 

"  What  kind  of  a  skiff  was  it  ?  "  inquired 
one  of  the  men. 

"  'Twas  jest  a  skiff.  'Twasn't  no  partic- 
ular kind." 

"  When  did  you  say  you  lost  it  ?  " 

"  It  got  loose  night  afore  last.  It  might 
'a'  drifted  deown  here  in  the  dark,  or  it 
might  'a'  gone  by  in  the  daytime." 

"  Was  it  a  good  one  ?  " 

"First-rate." 

"  As  good  as  that  one  you're  in  now  ?  " 

"  Jest  abeout.  Purty  much  like  it.  Have 
ye  seen  anything  on  it?  " 

"No.  We  haven't  seen  any  skiff  drift- 
ing past  here." 

"  There  ye  be  again !  "  muttered  Jed,  as 


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260     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

he  began  to  pull  vigorously  at  his  oars  once 
more.  "  It's  jest  as  I  was  tellin'  ye,  Bob. 
The  War  o'  1812  has  got  to  be  fit  all  over 
again.  The'  isn't  a  man  in  the  whole  o' 
Canada  what'll  do  us  a  favor.  No,  sir,  not 
one  in  the  whole  kit  an'  caboodle  o'  'em." 

"But  these  men  said  they  hadn't  seen 
any  skiff,"  Bob  ventured  to  protest  mildly. 
**  I  don't  see  how  you  can  blame  them  for 
the  War  of  1812.  They  didn't  have  any- 
thing to  do  with  that." 

"  Didn't,  hey  ?  That  don't  make  no  dif- 
ference. They're  all  o'  one  passel  [parcel]. 
They're  agin  every  one." 

"  Try  those  people  on  that  little  dock 
ahead,"  suggested  Bob.  "Perhaps  they'll 
know  something  about  the  boa-t  we've  lost." 

"No  use,"  muttered  Jed,  who  neverthe- 
less rowed  toward  the  spot  his  companion 
had  referred  to.     "  'T won't  do  a  bit  o'  good." 

"  Let  me  ask  them  this  time,"  said  Bob. 

"  Go  ahead.  You'll  soon  find  eout 
whether  ye'll  get  any  help  or  not." 

"Have  you  seen  or  heard  of  a  skiff  adrift 
on  the  river?"  called  Bob,  as  they  drew 
near  the  dock. 

"No,  we  haven't,"  responded  one  man, 
courteously. 


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Ml  '<  I! 


A    CRITICAL  MOMENT. 


261 


"Humph!  Jest  cas  I  told  ye,"  muttered 
Jed,  though  he  took  jiains  to  prevent  his 
voice  from  being  heard  by  the  people  on 
the  dock. 

"One  of  our  skiffs  got  away  from  us," 
continued  Bob,  "  and  we  haven't  been  able 
to  get  any  trace  of  it  as  yet." 

''How  long  ago  was  it  that  you  lost 
it?"  inquired  the  man  who  had  spoken 
before. 

"It  got  away  from  us  in  the  storm, 
night  before  last." 

The  man  shook  his  head,  as  he  replied  : 
I'  I'm  afraid  you  won't  see  it  again.  Did 
it  have  any  name  on  it  ?  " 

"No." 

"  There  are  so  many  boats  like  that  on 
the  river,  I'm  afraid  you'll  find  it  difficult 
to  identify  it.  If  we  hear  of  one  being 
found,  we'll  send  you  word,  if  you'll  give 
us  your  address." 

Bob  gave  the  post-office  address  as  he  had 
been  requested,  and  then  turned  to  Jed,  as 
if  he  expected  the  boatman  to  resume  his 
labors.  But  to  his  surprise  Jed  turned 
toward  the  people  on  the  dock,  and  called 
out  sharply,  "Did  ye  ever  hear  o'  the 
War  o'  1812?'V^^-.^^^^^^^.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  .  .    _^  _ 


I 


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262     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

'^  Yes,  we've  heard  of  it,"  laughed  the 
man  who  had  spoken  before.  "  Did  you 
lose  your  skiff  then  ?  " 

*'No,  we  didn't  lose  our  skiff  then,"  re- 
torted Jed,  sharply.  "  Who  licked  in  that 
war  ? " 

"  T  don't  know  just  who  could  be  said 
to  have  won,"  replied  the  stranger. 

"  Did  ye  ever  hear  o'  the  battle  o'  Lundy's 
Lane?" 

"  Yes,  I've  heard  of  the  battle  you  people 
from  the  States  call  by  that  name." 

"  Well,  who  beat  ? '.' 

"  Certainly  you  didn't." 

"We  didn't!  We  didn't!"  exclaimed 
Jed,  excitedly.  "  Who  drove  the  redcoats 
off  the  field  ?  Tell  me  that,  will  ye  !  Jest 
tell  me  that !  " 

"  I  will,  when  you  tell  me  who  held  the 
field  after  the  battle,"  replied  the  stranger, 
good-naturedly. 

"  That's  it !  That's  jest  the  way  of  it, 
every  time.  Next  time  I  guess  ye'U  know 
who  beat." 

"  I  sincerely  hope  there  never  will  be  a 
next  time." 

Bob,  who  had  been  greatly  surprised  at 
the  sudden  turn  the  conversation  had  taken, 


iii 


A   CRITICAL  MOMENT. 


263 


now  broke  in  to  say :  "  We  thank  you  very 
heartily  for  your  offer  to  send  us  word  if 
you  hear  anything  of  our  lost  skiff.  Come 
on,  Jed,  we  must  go  on  with  our  search." 
As  the  boatman  resumed  his  labors  and 
the  skiff  passed  the  dock,  Bob  joined  in  the 
good-natured  laughter  of  the  strangers, 
and  shook  his  head  as  one  of  the  men 
touched  his  forehead  significantly. 

"That    fellow    thinks    I'm   crazy,"   ex- 
claimed  Jed,  angrily,  as  the   boat   passed 
out   of  the   hearing   of   the   people,    "  but 
I'm  not  a  bit  more  crazy'n  he  is.     I  know 
him.     He  wrote  up  a  whole  lot  about  the 
war  in  this  part  o'  the  country,  an'  he's  too 
one-sided   to   live.        I   read   some   o'   his 
articles  last  winter,  an'  he  jest  says  over 
an'    over   again   that   neither    side    really 
whipped  the  other.      What   d'ye  think  o' 
that  ?    Did  ye  ever  hear  anythin'  to  beat 
that,  in  all  yer  born  days  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  think  I've  seen  people  as  one- 
sided as  he  is." 

^  "  I  never  did,"  remarked  Jed,  decidedly. 
"The  folks  in  Canada  is  the  most  set 
folks  I  ever  saw.  Beats  all,  how  they 
stick  to  their  p'int." 

"  It  is  strange,"  said  Bob,  quizzically. 


411 


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S.lLJli_. M       I 


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7^\^r**T^*?-..^.vjYy..^-*i4f-jgMgg*^w 


264     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Jed,  unconscious  of 
his  companion's  banter.  "  They  hang  to 
their  point  like  a  dog  to  a  root.  I  hate 
to  see  folks  so  one-sided." 

"  Perhaps  they're  thinking  of  Hull  and 
Wilkinson,  and  a  few  others  of  our  men, 
who  certainly  didn't  reflect  any  very  great 
credit  on  us  in  the  early  part  of  that  war." 

"  Mebbe  the'  didn't ;  but  heow  abeout 
Commodore  Perry  an'  Tippecanoe  an' 
Jacob  Brown  ?  Tell  me  abeout  them,  will 
ye?" 

"  I've  read  of  their  bravery ;  but  if  I  was 
going  to  talk  of  the  War  of  1812, 1  think 
I'd  refer  to  Andrew  Jackson's  fight  at  New 
Orleans." 

"What'd  he  do  there?'*  inquired  Jed, 
eagerly.  "  I  didn't  know  the'  was  a  fight 
there.'* 

"  Well,  there  was,  though  it  was  fought 
after  peace  had  been  declared  —  it  took  so 
long  to  get  word  over  here." 

"  Who  beat  ?  " 

*'^Why,  Jackson  did.  In  about  twenty- 
five  minutes  he'd  driven  back  the  British, 
who  were  advancing  on  the  city,  and  had 
inflicted  a  loss  of  twenty-five  hundred  upon 
them." 


NCE. 


A   CRITICAL  MOMENT. 


266 


US  of 
mg  to 
I  hate 

.11  and 
*  men, 
great 
I  war." 
abeout 
e  an' 
n,  will 

I  was 
think 

\,t  New 

i  Jed, 
i  fight 

fought 
ook  so 


;venty- 

•ritish, 

d  had 

upon 


"  How  many  did  Jackson  lose  ?  '*  said 
Jed,  in  excitement. 

"  He  lost  eight  men  killed  and  thirteen 
wounded." 

"  Gum  !  "  ejaculated  Jed,  as  he  suddenly 
reversed  the  course  of  the  skiff  and  started 
swiftly  back  up  the  river. 

"  What  are  you  doing  ?  Where  are  you 
going  ?  exclaimed  Bob,  in  dismay. 

"  I'm  a  goin'  back  an'  ask  that  history 
chap,  back  there,  if  he  ever  heard  tell  o' 
New  Orleans.  I'm  jest  a  goin'  to  let  him 
put  that  in  his  pipe  an'  smoke  it." 

Bob  had  no  mind  to  be  a  party  to  the 
controversy,  and  as  the  only  means  he 
could  think  of  to  divert  the  attention  of 
his  boatman  he  said,  "  We'll  lose  time,  Jed. 
Perhaps  these  cannon  are  right  down  the 
stream.  They  may  be  off  the  shore  of  that 
island  yonder." 

"  I  don't  care  nothin'  abeout  no  cannon," 
said  Jed, sharply.  "I'm  a  goin'  to  ask  that 
history  man  if  he  ever  heard  o'  New 
Orleans." 

Despite  Bob's  protests,  Jed  held  to  his 
course ;  but  when  they  drew  near  the  dock, 
it  was  discovered  that  the  people  who  had 
been  there  had  disappeared  from  sight.    As 


firn 


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ill 


266     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

there  was  a  cottage  on  the  bank,  not  far 
from  the  dock,  surmising  that  the  man  he 
so  much  desired  to  see  had  sought  its  shel- 
ter, Jed  rose  in  the  boat  and  shouted  :  — 

"  Heow  abeout  New  Orleans  ?  Ever  hear 
tell  o'  New  Orleans  ?  " 

No  response  was  made  to  his  hail,  and  as 
no  one  appea^'ed  on  the  piazza  of  the  cottage, 
Jed  repeated  his  summons;  but  still  no 
attention  was  given  it. 

**  That's  the  way  with  some  folks,"  re- 
marked Jed,  in  evident  disgust,  as  he  re- 
sumed his  labors  at  the  oars ;  "  they  crawl 
into  a  hole  an'  then  pull  the  hole  in  after 
'em.  But  that's  a  good  one,  that  is,  abeout 
New  Orleans.  I'll  ask  that  fellow  abeout 
it,  the  very  first  time  I  see  him." 

In  response  to  Bob's  suggestion  that  it 
would  soon  be  midday  and  time  for  them 
to  return  to  the  house-boat  and  to  dinner, 
and  if  they  were  to  secure  another  skiff,  as 
Jock  had  directed  them  to,  they  must  cross 
to  the  main  shore,  Jed  accordingly  changed 
the  direction  of  the  boat,  and  began  to  row 
toward  the  Canadian  shore.  They  were 
still  among  the  islands,  however,  and  Bob 
maintained  his  lookout  for  the  sunken  can- 
non.    Not  that  a  strong  hope  remained 


A   CJiTTTCAL   MOMENT. 


267 


now  of  finding  tliem,  for  the  time  for  re- 
flection which  the  morning  hjul  given  had 
caused  him  to  think  more  soherly  of  the 
matter,  and  the  project  now  seemed  a  fool- 
iiardy  one.  Nevertheless,  he  continually 
looked  over  the  side  of  the  boat  into  the 
clear  waters  over  which  they  were  passing. 

The  great  boulders  and  huge  rocks  could 
be  distinctly  seen.  Even  the  seams  and 
cracks  stood  forth  to  view,  and  the  trunks 
and  branches  of  trees  which  years  before 
had  fallen  into  the  water  were  plainly  dis- 
cernible. Bob  was  idly  watching  them 
all,  but  suddenly,  as  they  drew  near  the 
shore  of  the  smaller  islands,  he  sat  erect 
and  peered  more  intently  down  into  the 
transparent  depths. 

"  Hold  on  a  minute,  Jed !  "  he  said  in  a 
low  voice. 

"  What  is  it  ?  Have  ye  found  it  ?  Have 
ye  found  the  cannon  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  Look  over  on  this  side 
and  see  what  you  think  of  it." 

Jed  eagerly  responded,  and  far  down  in 
the  waters  beheld  the  object  which  had 
arrested  the  attention  of  his  comrade.  If 
it  was  not  the  muzzle  of  a  cannon,  it  cer- 
tainly  very    strongly   resembled    it ;    and 


!*,  'Li        f 


r;      .  i 


268    HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

greatly  excited,  Jed  at  once  fastened  the 
long  light  cedar  rod  he  had  brought  to  his 
gaff,  and  then  leaned  over  the  side  as  he 
thrust  the  contrivance  toward  the  object  to 
which  Bob  had  directed  his  attention. 

The  water  was  still  too  deep  to  enable  him 
to  touch  it,  and  he  was  about  to  add  one  of 
the  rods  to  the  pole,  when  Bob  quickly  said, 
in  a  low  voice :  — 

"Look  out,  Jed.  There  comes  Ethan 
and  Bert." 

Glancing  up  the  river,  the  boatman  be- 
held a  skiff  approaching,  and  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  perceiving  that  Ethan  and  Bert 
were  indeed  near  by. 

Instantly  dropping  the  rod,  and  picking 
up  his  oars,  he  began  to  row  swiftly  toward 
the  approaching  boat,  all  the  time  endeav- 
oring to  assume  an  air  of  calmness  which 
he,  was  far  from  feeling. 


CHAPTER   XXiI. 


AN   UNWELCOME   VISITOR. 

"  What  are  you  doing  ?  Trying  to  pull 
up  the  bottom  of  the  St.  Lcawrence  ?  "  called 
Bert,  as  the  skiffs  came  near  together. 

"  That  would  be  more  than  some  people 
catch,"  responded  Bob.  "Whose  skiff  is 
that  ?     Where  did  you  get  it  ?  " 

"  It's  our  skiff." 

"  The  one  we  lost  ?  " 

"  Yea,  verily ;  the  very  same." 

"How  did  you  find  it?  We  were  jast 
starting  for  Canada  to  hire  one,  for  we'd 
almost  given  up  hopes  of  ever  finding  the 
old  one." 

"  You  were  acting  very  much  as  if  you 
were  on  your  way  to  Canada,"  remarked 
Bert.  "Let  me  see.  Canada  is  bounded 
on  the  north  by  the  sky,  on  the  south  by 
the  bottom  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  on  the 
west  by  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  on  the  east 
by  the  atmosphere  and  the  horizon.     You 

269 


■If* 

■> 

-  r| 

'J  in  ii 

•v|" 

- 

Ij,,  :i 

f 

; 

Ij!  .   -1 

.^ 

WUl  ''^l£^D 

^^^L  Vflfa^BlHBi^^^^^^^H 

* 

> 

i^ 

.■u 

270     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

were  trying  to  go  in  by  the  southern  side, 
weren't  you  ?  " 

"  Where  did  you  get  the  skiff,  Bert  ? " 
said  Bob,  striving  to  divert  the  attention 
of  his  friend  from  the  thought  of  the  occu- 
pation in  which  he  had  been  discovered. 

"Why,  those  men  who  found  the  house- 
boat heard  of  a  lost,  or  rather  a  found,  skiff, 
when  they  went  home,  and  this  mommg 
they  came  over  with  it  to  see  if  it  was  ours. 
I'm  not  certain  that  it  is,  by  any  manner 
of  mear.s ;  but  it'll  do  as  well  as  any  other, 
I  fancy,  and  I'm  not  one  who  believes  in 
ignoring  the  gifts  of  fortune.  We're  in 
need  of  a  skiff ;  a  skiff  is  brought  us ;  ergo, 
this  okiff  becomes  ours.  Besides,  Ethan 
declares  it's  the  long-lost,  though  how  he 
knows  so  much  is  beyond  my  powers  of 
comprehension,  for  they're  all  pretty  much 
alike  to  me." 

"That's  eour  skiff,"  said  Jed,  "there's 
no  mistake  abeout  that." 

"  I'm  glad  to  have  your  opinion,  too,  Jed," 
responded  Bert.  "  It's  like  an  expert  in 
handwritings  and  the  more  you  get  to  swear 
in  one  way,  the  better  it  is  for  all  of  us. 
Bob,  what  were  you  doing  back  there  when 
we  found  you  ?  "  he  suddenly  added. 


AN   UNWELCOME  VISITOR. 


271 


"  Waiting  for  you  to  come  and  discover 
us.     I  thought  you'd  never  come." 

"  You  seemed  to  be  delighted  or  almost 
scared  to  death,  I  couldn't  quite  tell  which. 
What  ivere  you  doing,  Bob  ?  " 

"  Fishin',"  responded  Jed,  before  his  com- 
panion could  reply. 

**  Well,  what  made  you  give  up  so  sud- 
denly when  we  came  ?  " 

"  You'd  scare  anything  in  the  St.  Law- 
rence river.  You  didn't  think  we'd  have 
anything,  did  ye,  after  yon  brought  that 
voice  o'  yours  along  ?  'Twas  'most  like  a 
foghorn." 

"  There's  the  house-boat,"  exclaimed  Bob. 
"  I  didn't  know  we  were  so  near  home. 
Ethan,  I  hope  you've  dinner  almost  ready?" 

"  'Twon't  take  long  to  git  it,  neow,"  re- 
plied Ethan,  speaking  for  the  f.rst  time 
since  they  started  for  home,  if  home  their 
floating  domicile  might  be  termed. 

"  I'm  glad  of  that,"  said  Bob.  "  It  gives 
one  a  huge  appetite  to  be  out  all  the  morn- 
ing on  the  river." 

"I'm  sorry  you  didn't  get  that  fish," 
said  Bert.  "  Some  fish  would  have  tasted 
good  for  dinner." 

He  laughed  derisively  as  he  spoke,  and 


n 


272    HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

Bob  knew  that  his  friend  had  his  suspicions 
of  what  their  occupation,  when  they  had 
been  discovered,  had  really  been.  Of  course 
it  was  impossible  to  determine  just  how 
much  he  knew ;  but  the  fact  that  he  had  be- 
come suspicious  complicated  matters  some- 
what, and  added  a  new  element  to  the 
problem.  For  the  self-restrained  Bob  had 
become  unusually  aroused  over  the  discov- 
ery of  what  might  prove  to  be  the  object 
of  their  search.  It  was  too  bad,  he  thought, 
that  they  had  been  interrupted  just  at  the 
critical  moment,  but  he  had  marked  well 
the  neighboring  shore,  and  was  positive  that 
he  could  identify  the  spot  again,  and  there 
were  many  days  yet  to  come  before  the 
summer  would  be  ended.  Meanwhile,  it 
would  never  do  to  let  his  mischievous  friend 
know  even  of  the  hopes  in  his  mind.  It 
would  be  time  enough  to  tell  him  about  it 
all  after  success  had  crowned  his  efforts, 
and  if,  on  the  other  hand,  failure  came, 
then  he  would  be  saved  from  the  gibes  and 
bantering  of  Bert,  which  he  fully  under- 
stood would  be  neither  light  nor  few. 

"We've  got  fish  enough  for  dinner," 
remarked  Jed.  "I  had  Bob  out  with  me 
this  time,  and  'twasn't  much  like  the  other 


AN   UNWELCOME  VISITOR. 


273 


mornin',  when  I  had  you  an'  Ben,"  he  said 
sharply  to  Bert.  "  It's  the  most  discoiir- 
agm'  thing  in  the  world  for  a  uoatman  to 
have  green  hands  along  with  him  what  can't 
land  a  bass,  not  even  when  he  walks  right 
np  to  the  landin'-net,  and  begs  on  ye  to  take 
him  aboard.  If  it's  all  the  same  to  Ethan 
here,  I  think  I'd  rather  change  pardners 
with  him  —  that  is,  o'  course,  if  he  hasn't 
no  objection  to  so  doin'." 

"  'Twon't  make  no  difference  to  me," 
responded  Ethan,  soberly.  "I'm  thinkin' 
we'll  git  some  fish,  no  matter  who's 
aboard.'* 

"  You'll  know  more  after  you've  tried  it, 
I  guess." 

"I'll  hope  so.  Some  folks  can't  never 
seem  to  learn  nothin'." 

"  Some  folks  don't  seem  to  need  to  learn 
so  much  as  others.  They  know  a  lee-e-ttle 
somethin'  afore  they  start  eout." 

The  warfare  between  the  boatmen  threat- 
ened to  break  out  afresh ;  and  as  that  was 
something  neither  of  the  boys  desired,  they 
both  united  in  a  shout  to  announce  their 
coming  to  their  friends  on  the  house-boat. 
An  answering  shout  came  across  the  water, 
and  as  each  boatman  at  once  increased  his 


\U    <\ 


274     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

efforts,  they  speedily  arrived  at  their  destina- 
tion. There  the  skiffs  were  lifted  from  the 
water  and  borne  up  on  the  bank,  to  make 
sure,  for  the  present  at  least,  that  they 
would  not  be  lost  again.  Then  the  boys 
sought  the  interior  of  the  house-boat,  while 
the  boatmen  hastened  to  prepare  the  dinner 
for  which  all  were  now  eagerly  waiting. 

In  the  afternoon  the  parties  set  forth 
once  more,  but  although  Bob  was  assigned 
to  Jed's  boat,  Bert  steadily  refused  to  give 
up  his  place  there,  and  so  it  was  impossible 
for  them  to  return  to  the  spot  where  the 
cannon  had  been  discovered.  Jed  plainly 
showed  his  irritation  at  the  turn  of  events, 
but  Bob  maintained  his  customary  compos- 
ure, hoping  thereby  to  convince  his  friend 
that  he  had  nothing  he  desired  to  conceal 
from  him;  but  he  was  by  no  means  as- 
sured of  his  success  when,  at  nightfall,  all 
returned  to  the  house-boat,  for  Bert,  for  some 
unknown  cause,  occasionally  broke  into  a 
laugh,  and  quizzically  pretended  to  console 
his  companion  for  his  disappointment. 

"  I  don't  understand  what  you  mean  by 
my  disappointmeiit,"  said  Bob.  "  I've  had 
a  good  day.  I  don't  see  anything  to  be 
disappointed  about." 


AN   UNWELCOME  VISITOR. 


275 


"  Do  you  see  that  ?  "  inquired  Bert,  as  he 
held  forth  a  needle  in  his  hand. 

"  See  it  ?     Of  course  I  see  it.     What  of 

it?" 

"  Oh,  nothing  much ;  only  I'm  glad  you're 
able  to  see  the  point  for  once  in  your  life." 

"  I  wish  I  could  say  that  you'd  made  a 
point  clear  for  once  in  your  life,"  retorted 
Bob,  quickly ;  "  but  I  can't.  I'm  truthful, 
I  am,  and  I  cannot  tell  a  lie.  I  don't  know 
how." 

"  You  know  more  than  you  pretend  to," 
responded  Bert,  as  a  laugh  arose  from  his 
friends.  "Perhaps  some  day  you'll  find 
out  that  I'm  not  so  big  a  fool  as  I  look. 
It's  the  way  my  mother  dresses  me." 

"  Bert,"  replied  Bob,  "  you're  pretending 
to  know  something  about  me,  or  about 
what  you  think  I've  done,  or  something  or 
other,  I  don't  just  understand  what.  Now 
speak  right  out.  Don't  be  afraid.  If  you 
know  anything,  let's  have  it.  Speak,  pretty 
creature,  speak." 

"Silence  is  golden,"  retorted  Bert;  *•  there- 
fore I'm  as  silent  as  —  as  —  as  that  golden 
treasure  in  the  Spanish  galleon  yoar  friend 
Phips  found,  for  example,"  and  he  glanced 
keenly  at  Bob  as  he  spoke. 


276     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


?»■  f 


"  I'm  afraid  no  Phips  will  ever  be  found 
to  bring  your  golden  silence  to  the  surface. 
Some  things  are  better  when  they're  buried 
deep  in  the  dark,  blue  sea." 

"  Don't  bury  his  silence,''  interrupted  Ben, 
quickly.  "  If  he  shows  any  disposition  to 
bring  that  out,  don't  interfere  with  him ! 
Don't,  I  beg  of  you !  No  one  ever  will  know 
what  I've  suffered  all  through  freshman 
year.  I  actually  think  I'd  have  made  a  reci- 
tation once  or  twice,  if  Bert  would  only  have 
given  me  a  chance." 

For  a  long  time  the  boys  remained  on  the 
deck  of  the  house-boat,  and  their  laughter 
and  songs  were  the  only  sounds  to  be 
heard.  The  "good  time"  for  which  they 
had  come  was  evidently  at  hand,  and 
adventures  and  mishaps  were  alike  for- 
gotten in  the  pleasure  of  the  hour.  The 
plans  for  the  following  day  were  all 
arranged  before  the  boys  retired,  and 
when  at  last  silence  once  more  rested  over 
the  waters,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  no  one 
appreciated  it  more  than  the  occupants  of 
the  house-boat,  who  were  lost  in  the 
"  dreamless  sleep  "  of  healthy,  light-hearted 
boyhood. 

It  was  a  keen  disappointment  when  the 


W 


AN    UNWELCOME   VISITOR. 


277 


morning  broke  in  the  midst  of  a  steady 
downpour  of  rain.  The  sport  of  the  day 
was  thereby  destroyed ;  but  there  was  no 
lack  of  means  by  which  to  pass  the  time, 
for  ample  provision  had  been  made  for  this 
very  emergency.  Ethan,  as  his  services 
would  not  be  required,  was  to  go  home 
at  sunset,  promising  to  be  back  in  ample 
time  to  assist  in  carrying  the  boys  on  the 
following  day  to  "  The  Rocks,"  where 
Mr.  Clarke's  cottage  was  situated,  and 
where  the  entire  party  was  to  assemble 
for  the  promised  picnic. 

In  the  afternoon  Bob  took  one  of  the 
skiffs,  and  in  spite  of  the  steadily  falling 
rain,  started  for  the  place  where  he  had 
discovered  the  cannon.  He  took  pains  to 
appear  as  if  he  was  in  no  eagerness  to  go, 
declaring  that  the  rain  was  not  so  bad  as 
the  enforced  inactivity  ;  and  that  he  would 
be  back  soon.  If  he  had  seen  Bert  stealth- 
ily follow  him  a  few  minutes  after  his 
departure,  perhaps  his  peace  of  mind  might 
have  been  somewhat  disturbed  ;  but  "  igno- 
rance was  bliss,"  in  his  case  at  least,  and 
all  unmindful  that  he  was  being  followed, 
he  rowed  leisurely  down  the  stream,  until  at 
last  he  arrived  at  the  longed-for  place. 


f  ".  !• 


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278      HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

As  he  looked  about  him,  when  he  rested 
on  his  oars,  he  began  to  suspect  that  perhaps 
he  had  made  a  mistake  after  all,  and  had 
not  found  the  exact  spot.  Yet  there  was 
the  split  rock  and  the  clump  of  cedars  he 
had  noted,  and  so  striving  to  convince  him- 
self that  he  was  correct,  he  sent  the  skiff 
a  little  nearer  the  shore,  to  enable  him  to 
peer  down  into  the  depths  below.  But  the 
water  was  somewhat  ruffled  by  the  storm ; 
and  the  absence  of  the  sunlight  prevented 
him  from  seeing  clearly  into  the  water. 

Slowly  up  and  down  the  river  he  moved, 
all  the  time  glancing  eagerly  over  the  side 
of  the  skiff,  and  keeping  well  inshore  ;  but 
his  efforts  were  unrewarded.  He  could  not 
distinguish  the  objects  on  the  bottom  of 
the  river,  and  at  last  he  concluded  that  he 
either  had  come  to  the  wrong  place,  or  that 
he  must  postpone  his  task  till  another  day. 

Accordingly  he  grasped  his  oars  and  was 
about  to  return  to  the  house-boat,  when  he 
was  startled  by  the  sound  of  a  boat  coming 
down  the  river.  Before  he  could  withdraw 
from  the  spot,  he  perceived  a  skiff  now  close 
by,  and  it  required  no  second  glance  to 
show  that  its  occupant  was  none  other  than 
Bert  himself.     It  was  annoying,  to  say  the 


AN   UNWELCOME   VTSITOR. 


279 


least,  to  feel  that  he  was  being  watched  by 
his  friend  ;  and  as  he  waited  for  him  to  come 
nearer,  he  was  busily  devising  some  scheme 
by  which  he  might  be  able  to  divert  the 
attention  of  the  inquisitive  lad  ;  or,  better 
still,  to  turn  the  tables  upon  him  and  make 
him  feel  that  he  was  the  one  on  the 
defensive. 

No  plan  had  presented  itself,  however, 
when  Bert  rowed  alongside,  and  in  response 
to  the  good-natured  laugh  with  which  he 
was  greeted.  Bob  said,  "  You  looking  for 
me,  Bert  ?  " 

"  Not  exactly.  You  are  well  enough  in 
your  way,  but  just  at  the  present  time  I'm 
after  something  else." 

"  What  is  that  ?  " 

''  Gold." 

'^Pretty  thick  around  here.  All  you 
have  to  do  is  to  pick  it  off  the  bushes." 

•^  Now  see  here.  Bob,  you  can't  fool  me, 
for  I  know  what  you  and  Jed  are  after. 
I  didn't  mean  to  overhear  you  the  other 
night,  but  I  couldn't  help  it.  So  own  up, 
now,  and  let  me  into  your  trick.  I'll  never 
tell." 

"  Do  you  really  want  to  hear  about  it  ?  " 

"I  do  that." 


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280    iiousE-noAT  on  tue  st.  lawuence. 

'*  All  right.  Come  on  back  to  the  house- 
boat then." 

A  scheme  had  suddenly  suggested  itself 
to  Bob's  fertile  brain,  by  which  he  might 
divert  the  too  eager  interest  of  his  friend, 
and  at  the  same  time  teach  him  a  much- 
needed  lesson  for  his  interference. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


A   CALL   FOR   HELP. 

"  If  I  let  you  into  this  scheme,"  said 
Bob,  when  at  last  the  skiffs  had  been 
restored  to  their  places,  and  the  two  boys 
were  on  the  house-boat,  "  it  isn't  going  to 
be  as  a  passenger.  You'll  have  to  do  your 
part." 

"When  did  I  ever  fail  to  do  that,  I'd 
like  to  have  you  inform  me  ?  '* 

"  I  don't  mean  the  part  you  take  at  the 
breakfast-table,  or  the  ornamental  you  usu- 
ally like  best  of  all.  It's  work,  downright 
hard  work,  you'll  have  to  do.  You  can't  pro- 
vide the  brains  or  think  out  the  plan,  for 
that's  been  done  already.  It's  the  manual 
labor  that'll  fall  to  your  share,  my  friend." 

''I  shan't  draw  back.  You  never  heard 
me  whine  yet.  But  honestly.  Bob,  did  you 
intend  to  dig  out  that  gold  and  leave  all 
the  rest  of  us  out  in  the  cold  ?  I  wouldn't 
have  believed  it  of  you,  I  wouldn't,  hon- 
estly." 

281 


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282      nOUSE-BOAT  ox  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

'*  I  didn't  intend  anything  of  the  kind," 
retorted  Bob,  warmly,  as  he  found  himself, 
in  spite  of  his  efforts,  placed  upon  the  defen- 
sive. ^'  But  I  didn't  know,  and  don't  yet, 
for  the  matter  of  that,  whether  we'd  find 
anything  in  the  scheme  or  not.  It  would  be 
time  enough  to  let  the  other  fellows  know, 
when  we  found  out  whether  the  story  was 
anything  more  than  a  story." 

"  But  you've  found  out  enough  to  give 
you  hope.      You  can't  fool  me." 

"We've  found  nothing,"  responded  Bob, 
quickly ;  "  at  least,  all  we've  found  is  a  spot 
that's  worth  looking  into.  Now  Bert,  un- 
derstand, you're  not  to  mention  this  to 
one  of  the  fellows,  and  you're  not  to  refer 
to  it  to  Jed,  either." 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  I've  good  reasons  for  what  I  say,  and 
plenty  of  them,  too.     Do  you  agree  ?  " 

"  I'll  agree  to  anything,  if  you'll  only 
give  me  a  share  in  the  million  dollars,  more 
or  less,  that's  in  those  shotted  cannon. 
Just  fan3y  me,  will  you,  saying  to  my  stern 
parent  when  he  ventures  to  remonstrate 
with  me  when  I've  tried  to  suggest  that 
a  further  and  increased  remittance  would 
be  highly  acceptable  to  the  undersigned  — 


A   CALL  FOR   HELP. 


283 


jufit  fancy  me  saying  in  my  exultant  tones : 
'  Very  well,  sir.  I  am  no  longer  dt^pendent 
upon  my  ancestors  for  the  lucre  wherewith 
to  pay  my  college  dues.  1,  too,  have  a  pile, 
and  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  you 
and  all  my  country  cousins  shall  plejid  with 
me  to  disgorge.'  Just  think  of  me  striking 
an  attitude,  and  with  my  head  toward  the 
stars,  and  a  smile  of  pride  and  of  scorn  on 
my  aristocratic  features,  and  my  hands  in 
my  pockets,  holding  fast  to  my  ill-gotten 
gains  —  no,  I  don't  mean  that  exactly.  I 
mean,  I  mean  —  well,  I  don't  know  that 
I  just  know  what  I  do  mean." 

"  Splendid,  Bert,  splendid  !  You  recall 
to  my  mind  some  of  the  brilliant  recitations 
you  make  in  Latin.  Indeed,  that  last 
clause  is  just  burned  into  my  memory,  and 
I  never  can  forget  it.  But  you  do  as  I  tell 
you,  and  don't  lisp  a  word  of  this  to  a  soul, 
not  even  to  Jed  ;  for  I'm  afraid  he'd  feel  so 
discouraged  if  he  heard  you  had  joined  the 
band,  he'd  want  to  resign." 

"  I  am  your  humble  servant." 

"  See  that  you  continue  to  be,  if  you 
would  retain  my  favor,  likewise  any  of  the 
buried  gold,"  said  Bob,  in  mock  solemnity. 

An  early  supper  was  had  that  evening, 


if " .  *  1 1 ' 


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284      lIOUSK-IiOAT  ox   THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

and  Ethan  mailed  away  for  his  home.  He 
was  hack  again,  however,  on  the  f  )ilowing 
morning,  long  before  the  sun  was  up,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  sleepers  in  the  house-boat, 
and  breakfast  was  ])re pared  before  it  was 
fairly  day.  ThiMi,  with  a  sail  in  each  skill", 
and  a  boatman  at  each  tiller,  the  boys  sailed 
away  for  '^  The  Rocks,"  where  they  were 
to  join  the  party  that  had  planned  for  t!ie 
outing  of  the  day.  As  soon  as  they  arrived, 
Mr.  Clarke  arranu;ed  with  the  boatmen  that 
they  should  return  to  the  house-boat,  and 
that  he  wo'.xv!,  in  his  yacht,  bring  the  boys 
back  to  their  floating  abode  at  the  end  of 
the  day. 

The  four  friends  were  greeted  with  a 
shout  from  the  young  ladies  Avhom  they 
had  met  in  the  preceding  summer ;  for  Miss 
Bessie  had  not  only  invited  the  friends  who 
had  been  with  her  before,  but  in  addition 
there  were  two  others,  and,  to  the  surprise 
of  the  newcomers,  they  also  discovered 
that  there  were  to  be  several  other  young 
fellows  in  the  party,  two  of  whom  were  at 
once  rec()ii;nized  as  students  from  the  colley:e 
which  was  the  chief  rival  to  their  own. 

Miss  Bessie's  surprise,  when  she  intro- 
duced the  latest  arrivals,  to  learn  that  they 


':^--.i\ 


-hi 


A   CALL   FO'f   HELP. 


285 


had  already  met,  was  <jjreat ;  and  when  she 
discovered  that  they  were  shaking  liands 
not  only  very  cordially  but  in  a  peculiar 
manner,  her  curiosity  was  also  aroused. 

"What  do  you  do  that  for?"  she  de- 
manded. 

"  We're  just  giving  the  grip,"  explained 
Jock,  laughhigly. 

'•The  grippe?  The  grippe?  My  father 
had  that  last  winter,  hut  I  didn't  know  that 
you  college  boys  just  tried  to  give  it  to  one 
another." 

"  It's  not  that  kind,"  laughed  Jock. 
"We're  members  of  the  same  fraternity, 
and  are  just  showing  that  we  understand 
one  another  on  the  start." 

"  Do  you  mean  secret  societies  ? " 

"Yes." 

"Is  that  what  those  funny  little  badges 
you  wear  on  your  vests  are  for  ?  " 

"That's  it." 

"  And  do  you  really  have  secrets  ?  And 
from  wliou)  are  they  secret?  And  do  tell 
me  what  the  secrets  are  !  I'll  nevei*  tell  — 
honestly,  I  won't !  How  ridiculous  it  seems 
that  boys  should  have  secrets  !  They  don't 
have  such  societies  in  the  girls'  colleges, 
anyway." 


ifi^ 


7—^ 


I     I 


286      HOUSE-BO  AT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 


a 


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II  ii 


Perhaps  there  are  good  and  sufficient 
reasons,"  suggested  Bert. 

"  Pray  tell  me  what  they  are." 

"  Wh}',  I  don't  know  from  experience, 
but  I've  heard  it  remarked  that  secrets 
were  so  common  and  such  common  prop- 
erty where  girls  are,  that  there  wasn't  any 
use  in  having  the  societies,"  said  Bert. 

"  You  know  better  than  that ;  you  know 
you  do,"  responded  Miss  Bessie,  sharply. 
"  Now  just  tell  me  one  of  your  secrets,  and 
see  whether  I  can  keep  it  or  not." 

'^  It  wouldn't  be  a  secret,  then,  if  I  should 
tell  you." 

"  Oh,  yes,  it  would,  for  I'd  never  tell.'* 

"  Honor  bright  ?  " 

"Honor  bright.  Now  do  let  me  take 
that  cunning  little  badge." 

Bert  obediently  unfastened  his  fraternity 
btydge,  and  the  eager-hearted  girl  at  once 
pinned  it  upon  her  waist.  "Now,  then," 
she  said,  "  tell  me  the  secret.  Give  me  the 
grip,  too,  so  that  I  can  show  that  I  know." 

"Now  you  see  the  very  first  thing  you 
want  to  do  is  to  get  one  of  the  secrets,  so 
that  you  can  tell  it  to  some  one  else,"  said 
Bert,  in  apparent  despair. 

"  Here  comes  Ben  Dallett,"  said  Miss  Bes- 


■\M 


A   CALL  FOR  HELP. 


287 


sie,  quickly.  "  Give  me  the  grip  !  Qii^ck  ! 
Be  quick !  Does  he  belong  to  the  same 
fraternity  you  do  ?  " 

''  Yes." 

^^  Well,  then,  show  me  the  grip.  How 
slow  you  are  !     Show  me  this  minute  !  " 

Thus  bidden,  Bert  pretended  to  explain 
the  mysterious  greeting,  and  as  soon  as  she 
had  received  it  Miss  Bessie  turned  to  greet 
Ben,  whose  tall  form  loomed  far  above  her, 
as  he  drew  near. 

'^Why,  Mr.  Dallett,"  she  exclaimed, 
"I'm  delighted  to  see  you ! "  And  hold- 
ing forth  hei  hand,  she  grasped  that  of 
Ben  in  the  peculiar  manner  in  which  Bert 
had  just  instructed  her. 

To  her  surprise  and  disgust,  Ben  appar- 
ently did  not  understand  the  meaning,  and 
Miss  Bessie  declared,  "  I  don't  believe  you 
belong  to  the  fraternity  I  do,  after  all," 
and  she  pointed  to  the  pin  she  was  wearing. 

'^  Bless  my  soul !  I'd  'most  forgotten," 
exclaimed  Ben,  as  he  entered  into  the  joke. 

"I  believe  you've  been  fooling  me,"  said 
Miss  Bessie.  "  I  don't  believe  that's  the 
grip  of  your  society  at  all." 

"Not  exactly,"  said  Ben.  "If  you'll 
wait  a  minute,  I'll  show  you." 


;/-■  '^t^'-t?'!^'^  "^  K;r-ys.:;;^f-7.f:\K-:./.,^^^^  m* 


288     nOUSE-BOAT  on  the  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


But  Miss  Bessie  had  become  sceptical, 
and  ready  to  return  the  favor  she  had  re- 
ceived, she  said  demurely,  "  Why,  Mr.  Dal- 
lett,  I  believe  you've  grown  two  inches 
since  last  summer." 

Ben's  face  flushed  slightly,  in  spite  of  his 
effort  to  join  in  the  laugh  which  followed. 
^^  There's  nothing  like  getting  up  in  the 
world,"  he  said.  "  My  motto  is  ^  Excelsior,' 
and  in  these  higher  regions,  where  I  carry 
my  head,  the  air  is  better  and  purer  and  the 
vision  is  much  broader,  I  can  assure  you  all." 

^^You  may  recollect,  my  friend,"  sug- 
gested Bert,  who  was  very  sensitive  as  to 
the  shortness  of  his  own  stacure,  "what 
the  great  English  wit  said." 

"  What  did  he  say  ?  "  demanded  Ben. 

"  Why,  something  about  nature  never 
erecting  a  building  seven  stories  high  with- 
out leaving  the  cock-loft  empty." 

"I  believe  I  do  recollect  something  of 
the  kind,"  responded  Ben,  dryly.  "At 
least,  I'm  not  likely  to  forget  it  when 
you  are  near,  Bert.  How  many  times  does 
that  make,  that  you've  got  off  that  same 
old  moth-eaten  saying  ? " 

"Not  one  too  many.  Constant  review- 
ing is  the  only  way  to  impress  the  truth." 


A   CALL  FOR  HELP. 


289 


"  I  say,  Bert,"  retorted  Ben,  "  did  you 
ever  hear  of  the  man  who  started  to  erect  a 
building,  but  he  hadn't  counted  the  cost,  and 
so  got  only  as  far  as  the  foundation  ?  I'd 
rather  be  a  cock-loft  than  a  cellar." 

'^  That's  all  right.  Tastes  differ,"  replied 
Bert,  shouting  and  pretending  that  he  was 
talking  to  some  one  far  up  in  the  sky. 

"  Tastes  do  differ,"  responded  Ben,  act- 
ing as  if  he  was  looking  about  in  the 
ravine  near  by  for  the  one  to  whom  he  was 
speaking. 

All  the  company,  including  Bert  and 
Ben,  were  laughing,  and  Miss  Bessie  said 
quickly,  "  You  boys  must  stop  your  quar- 
relling.    We've  too  much  to  do." 

"  I'm  not  quarrelling,  am  I,  Ben  ? " 
shouted  Bert,  looking  far  up  into  the  sky. 

"  No,  you're  not  quarrelling  ;  neither  am 
I,"  retorted  Ben,  again  pretending  to  be 
looking  about  on  the  ground  for  the  ipygmj 
that  had  addressed  him. 

"  Then  come  on  and  help  take  these  bas- 
kets down  to  the  yacht,"  said  Miss  Bessie, 
as  she  grasped  one  of  the  bundles  on  the 
piazza  and  started  toward  the  dock. 

Her  example  was  at  once  followed,  and 
soon  all  the  provisions  were  stored  away  in 


?fj^!  -Jir 


TT- 


290     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 


•; 


•r.  r 


:i:t 


i! 


the  lockers,  the  party  had  assembled  on 
deck,  the  word  was  given,  and  the  beau- 
tiful little  yacht  steamed  out  upon  the 
river. 

Overhead  the  sun  was  shining  with  un- 
usual brightness,  and  even  the  depths  of 
the  river  were  made  light  by  the  beams. 
The  air  was  cool  and  bracing,  and  the  delight 
and  animation  of  all  on  board  seemed  to  be 
mirrored  in  the  scenes  among  which  they 
moved.  Beautiful  islands,  attractive  cot- 
tages, boats  filled  with  people  bound  upon 
an  errand  similar  to  their  own  were  passed ; 
and  the  greetings  were  responded  to  with  a 
zest  that  clearly  showed  that  the  pleasures 
of  the  day  were  not  confined  to  one  party, 
however  animated  that  might  be.  College 
songs  rang  out  over  the  water,  laughter  and 
shouts  awoke  the  slumbering  echoes,  and 
life,  to  all  appearances,  had  no  more  clouds 
than  did  the  clear  blue  of  the  summer  sky 
above  them.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clarke,  with 
that  rare  faculty  that  some  people  have  of 
never  outgrowing  a  youthful  spirit,  no 
matter  how  many  years  may  have  passed 
over  their  heads,  entered  into  the  enjoy- 
ment of  the  young  people  ;  and  when  at  last 
the  yacht,  about  noontime,  came  to  anchor 


A   CALL  FOR  HELP. 


2U1 


off  a  shaded  and  beaut  iful  point  on  Grind- 
stone Island,  every  one  was  ready  to  declare 
that  such  a  day  had  never  before  been 
known. 

As  they  landed,  Jock  said :  "  My  father 
wrote  me  the  other  day  that  when  he  was 
a  boy  he  lost  his  jack-knife  in  the  water 
somewhere  near  here.  He  declared  that 
he'd  be  greatly  obliged  to  me  if  I'd  get  it 
and  bring  it  back  to  him. ' 

"  There  are  a  good  many  things  that 
have  been  lost  in  this  river,  and  some  peo- 
ple will  find  them,  or  think  they  will, 
which  is  just  as  well,"  remarked  Ben, 
soberly. 

Both  Bob  and  Bert  looked  up  quickly  as 
Ben  spoke,  and  then  glanced  uneasily  at 
each  other.  Had  Ben,  too,  suspected  the 
search  which  was  being  made  for  the  lost 
cannon?  His  words  certainly  sounded  sus- 
picious, but  the  demure  expression  on  his 
face  was  reassuring,  though  how  little  that 
might  mean  under  certain  conditions  both 
boys  fully  understood.  However,  there  was 
no  opportunity  for  further  questioning  now, 
for  the  baskets  must  be  carried  ashore,  and 
the  improvised  tables  set  up,  and  the  vari- 
ous  duties   performed  which  pertained  to 


^m^ 


292    riousE-BOAT  on  the  st.  lawrence. 


mn 


*-%— ■ 


the  coming  dinner  for  which  all  were  fully 
ready,  we  may  be  sure. 

There  was  a  rudely  constructed  fireplace, 
evidently  having  been  used  by  others  on 
former  occasions ;  and  Mr.  Clarke  explained 
that  these  were  to  be  found  at  certain  well- 
known  spots  among  the  islands,  and  were 
looked  upon  as  common  property  by  all  the 
fishermen.  Indeed,  as  he  spoke,  several 
skiffs  could  be  seen  approaching  the  islands 
from  various  directions,  and  it  was  evident 
that  others  also  knew  where  to  look  for  the 
camping  places. 

After  a  fire  had  been  made  from  the 
fallen  branches  which  were  speedily  gath- 
ered, Mrs.  Clarke  said  :  "  We  ought  to  have 
some  fish  for  our  dinner.  I  didn't  know 
but  the  young  gentlemen  would  kindly 
provide  us  with  them." 

"  So  we  will,"  said  Jock,  quickly. 

The  three  skiffs  which  the  yacht  had 
had  in  tow  were  speedily  brought  into  ser- 
vice, and  Mr.  Clarke  and  the  boys  at  once 
departed  on  their  search,  leaving  Mrs.  Clarke 
and  the  young  ladies  to  make  all  other 
arrangements  for  the  dinner. 

About  a  half-hour  afterward,  a  faint 
shout  or  call  from  the  camp  was  heard  by 


ENCE. 

3  fully 

eplace, 
ers  on 
plained 
n  well- 
d  were 
all  the 
several 
islands 
evident 
for  the 

Dm  the 

y  gath- 

to  have 

know 

kindly 


it  had 

^to  ser- 

it  once 

I  Clarke 

other 

faint 
ird  by 


A   CALL  FOR  HELP. 


293 


Jock  and  Bob,  who  were  in  the  same  skitf, 
and  not  far  distant  from  the  phice  wliere 
they  had  landed. 

''  What's  that  ?  Hark! "  demanded  Jock, 
sharply. 

Again  the  faint  cry  was  heard,  and  the 
excited  lad  said:  "There's  somethiny;  wrono: 
back  there.     Let's  pull  up  and  start." 

Quickly  their  lines  were  reeled  in,  and  the 
skiff  started  swiftly  homeward.  Several 
times  the  call  or  cry  was  heard  again,  and 
Bob,  who  was  rowing,  each  time  increased 
his  efforts.  The  light  skiff  responded,  and 
but  a  brief  time  had  elapsed  when  the  boys 
were  again  within  sight  of  the  camp. 

Then  it  became  evident  that  something 
was  indeed  wrong.  The  young  ladies  and 
Mrs.  Clarke  were  all  on  the  shore,  and  as 
soon  as  they  perceived  the  approaching 
skiff  their  shouts  redoubled.  They  waved 
their  handkerchiefs,  and  called  and  called 
again ;  and  when  at  last  the  boat  was  run 
ashore,  and  the  boys  leaped  out,  they  were 
convinced  that  they  had  made  no  mistake 
in  heeding  the  cry  and  returning  to  the 
landing-place. 


f   .^ 


mF 


TTl 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


THE   RESCUE. 


"What  is  it?  What's  wrong?"  demanded 
the  boys,  excitedly,  as  they  ran  up  the  bank 
and  joined  the  young  ladies,  whose  alarm 
apparently  had  increased  as  they  perceived 
their  friends  approaching. 

"  Oh,  just  look  there !  See  that !  Those 
dreadful  creatures  have  spoiled  everything ! " 
exclaimed  Miss  Bessie,  tearfully. 

As  the  boys  turned  quickly  about  at  her 
word,  they  beheld  the  cause  of  the  turmoil. 
The  tables  which  had  been  spread  by  the 
girls  were  now  overturned,  the  dishes  were 
scattered  about  on  the  grass,  and  all  the 
tempting  viands  were  either  trampled  in 
the  ground  or  had  been  devoured.  Ranged 
back  of  the  tables  a  half  dozen  mild-eyed 
and  astonished  cattle  were  standing  gazing 
at  the  group,  and  to  all  appearances  wonder- 
ing what  all  the  commotion  wr^  about. 

"  The  horrid  things  came  right  up  to  the 


TUE  RESCTK, 


295 


tables,"  explained  Miss  Bessie,  who,  with 
the  other  girls,  now  approached  the  camp- 
ing-place, feeling  somewhat  reassured  under 
the  protection  of  the  boys. 

"Why  didn't  }ou  drive  them  away?" 
said  Bob,  restraining  the  strong  impulse  to 
laugh  which  had  arisen  within  him. 

"  We  did  try  to,  but  they  wouldn't  go. 
We  said  '  Shoo  !  Shoo  ! '  to  them,  but  they 
weren't  nearly  as  badly  frightened  as  we 
were,  and  instead  of  their  running,  we  were 
the  ones  to  go.  And  all  our  dinner  is  gone, 
too." 

"  It's  too  bad,"  said  Jock.  "  Perhaps 
we'll  save  something  yet.  They  don't  seem 
to  have  disturbed  the  fireplace  or  anything 
that  was  cooking." 

"  It  was  too  hot  there." 

"They  won't  hurt  anything  now,"  said 
Jock,  as  he  and  Bob  seized  some  sticks  and 
drove  the  cows  back  among  the  trees. 
"Where  are  the  men?"  he  inquired,  as  they 
rejoined  their  friends.  "  How  did  it  happen 
that  you  were  left  alone  here  ?  " 

"  Why,  they  said  if  we'd  watch  the  fire, 
they'd  go  out  and  get  some  fish  for  dinner, 
for  they  declared  you  boys  wouldn't  be  able 
to  catch  any.     And  while  they  were  gone 


w 


mr  '"  w 


;i..  -^ 


290     no  USE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

these  savage  creatures  came  right  out  of 
the  woods  and  drove  us  away  and  ate  up 
all  our  dinner,  too." 

"Did  you  think  they  were  savage?** 
inquired  Bob.  "They  wouldn't  have 
harmed  you.  They're  as  mild  and  gentle 
as  lambs.  Didn't  you  notice  how  calm  and 
peaceful  the  expression  in  their  eyes  was  ?  " 

"  No,  we  didn't  notice  it ! "  retorted  one  of 
the  girls,  sharply.  "Two  of  them  just 
kept  shaking  their  heads,  and  we  were 
afraid  they'd  bite  U£." 

"  Bite  ? "  laughed  Jock.  "  If  you'd  been 
with  us  last  summer,  you'd  have  learned 
that  a  cow  can't  bite,  for  she  has  teeth  only 
on  one  jaw." 

As  the  girls  looked  incredulously  at  him, 
Jock  continued :  "  It's  a  fact ;  for  I  got 
caught  that  way  myself,  by  Ethan.  You 
ought  to  have  noticed  the  eye.  You  know 
it  is  considered  the  most  perfect  and  beau- 
tifui  eye  in  all  the  world,  —  except,  of 
course,  the  eye  of  a  young  lady.  Nothing 
is  equal  to  that,  though  perhaps  you  didn't 
know  it." 

"  Do  you  really  mean  to  say  they  have 
the  best  eyes  of  all  animals  ? " 

"That's  what  the  poets  say.      Perhaps 


. 


THE  RESCUE. 


297 


you  may  recollect  what  Ilomcr  makes  the 
highest  compliment  which  can  he  given  the 
Greek  goddesses ;  that  is  to  say,  that  they 
were  *  ox-eyed.'  " 

"  I've  heard  of  that ;  hut  I'm  sure  I  didn't 
think  of  it  when  these  creatures  came  after 
us.     And  our  dinner  is  gone,  too." 

"  Not  all  of  it,"  said  Jock.  ''  The  corn 
and  potatoes  were  too  hot  to  be  touched ; 
and  though  I'm  more  grieved  than  you  can 
be  that  some  of  your  dinner  is  gone,  we'll 
make  up  by  our  appetites  what  we  lack  in 
variety.  I'm  very  svu'e  there  won't  be  any 
complaints  heard  from  any  one  as  to  the 
lack  at  dinner  time.  Besides,  the  men  will 
have  some  fish,  too." 

"  Did  you  catch  any  ? "  inquired  Miss 
Bessie. 

"  We  were  just  going  to,  but  the  Mace- 
donian cry  from  the  camp  was  too  much 
for  us.  I  left  a  bass  over  there  that  must 
have  weighed  at  least  five  pounds." 

"That's  where  Jock  usually  leaves  the 
large  fish,"  ^  inarked  Bob,  demurely. 

"  Where's  :hat  ?  Where  were  you  ?  "  in- 
quired one  of  the  girls,  innocently. 

"  Why,  he  leaves  them  in  the  water.  He 
thinks  he'll  take  them  out,  but  he's  too 


WW 


i  'IS 

III 


I  f 


m 


v|. 


H 


.^r?-    -t- 


II 


ifflU 


298     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

tender-hearted  to  do  it,  after  all.  He  only 
catches  the  little  ones." 

"I  was  thinking,"  said  Miss  Bessie, 
"  about  what  you  said  of  the  eyes  of  those 
cows.  Were  you  joking  when  you  said  they 
were  the  most  beautiful  of  all  animals  ?  " 

"  Indeed  I  was  not." 

"  And  you  don't  really  think  they  would 
bite  —  I  mean  harm  us  ?  " 

"  What  ?    The  eyes  ? " 

"  No,  no.     The  cattle,  of  course.'* 

"  No,  they  won't  harm  you,  I'm  sure." 

"  Then  let  us  go  and  look  at  them.  I 
think  it  will  be  perfectly  fine." 

"  All  right.  Come  on ;  they're  close  hy. 
Yes,  I  can  see  them  right  over  there,"  said 
Bob,  pointing,  as  he  spoke,  to  che  cattle 
that  had  returned  to  the  borders  of  the 
woods,  and  were  standing  watching  the 
party. 

Nor  did  they  turn  away  as  the  young 
people  drew  near,  but  stood  gazing  at  them 
as  if  they  were  expecting  to  be  fed.  With 
many  expressions  of  alarm,  the  young  ladies 
were  at  last  persuaded  to  come  still  nearer, 
and  even  to  hold  forth  some  grass  which 
Bob  plucked  for  them. 

The  cows  stretched  forth  their  heads,  and 


m 


ENCE. 

[e  only 

Bessie, 

[  those 
id  they 
Is?" 

would 


)) 


ire. 
em.     I 


>> 


ose  oy. 
said 
cattle 
of  the 
ig   the 

young 

them 

With 

ladies 

learer, 

which 

Is,  and 


G 


i;t  (»rT  OF  TJiis  I     (Jo   hatk  tiikuk!"     I'uirt' 2M;>. 


'  at 


ll  ?, 


\H 


\f      (11 


ml 


THE  RESCUE. 


299 


with  their  long  tongues  attempted  to  seize 
the  offered  provender,  but  in  almost  every 
instance  the  blasts  of  their  breath  caused 
the  girls  timidly  to  draw  back,  and  even  to 
drop  their  gift;  but  the  beautiful  eyes  of 
the  patient  creatures  were  nevertheless  seen, 
and  commented  upon. 

"  We  must  go  back  now,"  said  one  of  the 
girls,  at  last.  "  I  never  had  heard  of  the 
^ox-eye'  before,  but  I'll  not  forget  it." 
As  the  party  turned  to  walk  back  to  the 
fire,  one  of  the  young  ladies  raised  her  para- 
sol to  protect  herself  from  the  flickering 
sunlight,  which  in  places  made  its  way 
even  through  the  thick  canopy  of  the  leaves. 
This  parasol,  as  it  happened,  was  of  a  deep 
red  hue,  but  all  the  party  were  ignorant 
that  this  particular  color  was  distasteful  to 
the  ''bovine  cattle,"  as  Bob  had  termed 
them;  and  the  first  impression  they  received 
of  that  fact  was  the  knowledge  that  the 
cows  were  following  them,  and,  for  some 
unexplained  reason,  were  greatly  excited. 

"Here,  let  me  take  your  parasol,"  Said 
Jock,  innocently,  as  he  seized  the  brilliant- 
hued  sun  umbrella,  and  waving  it  defiantly 
at  the  near-by  cattle,  shouted :  "  Get  out  of 
this  !     Go  back  there !  " 


M  'i'N-! 


C  If 


r    !i 


M  H 


mi] 


:;N 


Jt    Si 


i 


i   'ii 


f   liMi 


300     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

Whether  this  action  was  looked  upon  in 
the  light  of  a  challenge  or  not,  is  not 
known,  but  instead  of  turning  about,  as 
they  had  previously  done,  the  excitement 
in  the  little  herd  increased.  One  member 
was  apparently  particularly  enraged,  and 
lashing  her  sides  with  her  tail,  was  lowering 
her  head  and  pawing  the  earth,  at  the 
same  time  emitting  a  low  bellow,  which 
was  far  from  reassuring  to  the  girls,  whose 
alarm  had  now  returned. 

"  Girls,  you  run  back  to  the  shore,"  said 
Bob,  sharply,  "  while  Jock  and  I  drive  the 
cows  back." 

The  girls  obediently  ran  to  the  shore, 
and  the  boys  advanced  upon  the  foe,  if 
such  a  name  could  be  applied  to  a  herd  of 
a  half-dozen  domesticated  kine,  Jock  still 
holding  the  flaming  parasol,  which  he  waved 
defiantly  in  the  faces  of  the  "ox-eyed"  cattle, 
entirely  innocent  that  by  his  very  actions 
he  was  inflaming  them  still  more. 

Matters  were  indeed  beginning  to  look 
serious,  and  Bob  said  in  a  low  voice  :  "  Drop 
that  parasol,  Jock,  and  we'll  make  a  break 
for  that  rail  fence.  You  get  a  rail,  and  so 
will  I,  and  we'll  see  if  we  can't  beat  back 
this  horde  of  our  foes." 


THE  RESCUE. 


301 


Jock  was  now  in  no  mood  for  banter- 
ing, but  he  obeyed,  and  flinging  the  parasol 
upon  the  ground,  ran  swiftly  with  his 
friend  to  the  low  fence  near  by.  No 
sooner  had  the  boys  started,  however,  than 
the  cow  which  had  been  most  enraged 
advanced  upon  the  offending  parasol,  and 
tossed  it  into  the  air  with  her  horns.  As  it 
fell  to  the  ground,  she  made  another  rush 
upon  it,  and  this  time  tossed  it  so  high  that 
it  lodged  in  the  overhanging  branches  of  a 
near-by  tree. 

Gazing  up  at  the  battle-flag,  for  so  it 
was  plain  she  thought  the  brilliant  sun 
umbrella  to  be,  she  pawed  the  earth  and 
lashed  her  sides,  all  the  time  bellowing  in 
her  rage.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  presence 
of  the  young  ladies,  and  perhaps  for  the 
knowledge  that  they  were  looked  to  as  the 
sole  protectors,  doubtless  both  Jock  and 
Bob  would  have  retired  from  the  contest, 
well  satisiied  to  prove  that  discretion  was 
frequently  the  better  part  of  valor;  but 
with  so  many  bright  eyes  watching  them 
(they  meant  the  eyes  of  the  young  ladies, 
and  not  the  boasted  "  ox-eyes "  this  time) 
such  a  course  of  procedure  was  not  to  be 
thought  of.     Accordingly,  with  a  fence  rail 


t  ',, 


»i   F 


i;;' 


r.L 


M' 


frnr 


302     HOUSEBOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

in  the  hands  of  each  boy,  they  advanced  to 
the  attack. 

As  they  shouted,  all  the  cattle  broke 
and  fled  into  the  woods,  except  the  one 
which  was  evidently  bent  upon  demol- 
ishing the  red  parasol.  She  was  not  to 
be  moved  by  taunts  or  threats,  and  the 
boys  were  about  to  advance,  when  they 
were  startled  by  a  shout  from  the  shore. 

Looking  up,  they  beheld  the  two  boat- 
men, whom  Mr.  Clarke  had  brought  on  the 
yacht,  now  running  swiftly  toward  them. 
In  a  moment,  both  men  had  arrived  at  the 
spot,  and  while  one  of  them  severely 
belabored  the  body  of  the  poor  cow  with 
his  fishing  rod,  the  other  mercilessly  twisted 
her  tail. 

Thus  beset,  behind  and  on  her  flanks,  the 
excited  cow  for  the  moment  forgot  the 
presence  of  the  battle-flag  in  the  branches, 
and  with  one  defiant  bellow,  broke  and  fled ; 
nor  did  she  cease  from  her  flight  until  she 
had  regained  her  recent  companions  on  the 
other  side  of  the  island.  Then  with  his 
rod  one  man  pushed  the  parasol  from  its 
resting-place,  and  catching  it  as  it  fell,  he 
handed  it  to  Bob,  and  said  sharply :  — 

"  Don't  ye  know  any  better'n  that  ?  " 


THE  RESCUE. 


303 


"  Better  than  what  ?  "  inquired  Bob, 
quietly. 

"  Better'n  to  ,»rave  a  red  umbrella  at 
a  cow." 

"  No ;  I  didn't  know  any  better.  What's 
wrong  about  it?" 

"Why,  any  young  one  two  years  old 
ought  to  know  niore'n  that.  Red  always 
riles  cattle.  It's  a  wonder  she  didn't  poke 
her  horn  through  you,  instead  of  that 
umbrelly.  Don't  ye  never  do  that  again, 
never,  no  time,  nowhere." 

"  I  won't,"  said  Bob,  decidedly. 

By  this  time  they  had  returned  to  the 
shore  and  rejoined  their  friends,  and  with 
the  passing  of  danger,  the  fear  also  had 
gone. 

"  The  cows,  it  seems,  object  to  the  color 
of  your  parasol,"  said  Bob,  as  he  restored 
that  dilapidated  article  to  its  owner. 
"  The  boatmen  say  it's  a  wonder  you  got 
off  as  well  as  you  did." 

"  It  is  a  little  too  red,"  remarked  the 
young  lady,  dubiously,  as  she  sadly  opened 
and  closed  the  offending  parasol,  "  but.  I 
didn't  know  that  the  beasts  of  the  fields 
had  any  such  taste." 

"  Bessie  snapped  her  camera  at  you  three 


(*n 


I 


11 


11 


II 


m^ 


■T        t\i 


-1.. 


\m 


804     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

times,"  said  one  of  the  girls.  "  She  thinks 
she  has  a  splendid  picture  of  you  when 
you  were  running  for  the  fence.  If  it 
finishes  up  as  well  as  she  expects  it  to, 
she  thinks  of  presenting  a  copy  to  your 
college,  to  preserve  in  its  art  collection." 

"  If  you  dare  to  let  any  of  the  fellows  —  " 
began  Jock,  quickly ;  but  just  then,  catching 
a  warning  look  from  Bob,  he  suddenly 
stopped.  It  was  better  sometimes  not  to 
betray  your  real  anxiety.  And  yet  if  by 
any  chance  his  college  friends  should  get 
hold  of  that  picture,  what  a  reception 
would  be  theirs  on  their  return  to  college ! 
Jock  hardly  dared  to  contemplate  the 
scene. 

"I  think  it  will  be  a  good  picture,"  re- 
marked Miss  Bessie,  dryly.  "  There's  the 
background  of  the  river,  and  the  camp-fire, 
and  the  woods  and  all.  And  then  there'll 
be  two  college  boys  fleeing  for  dear  life,  and 
then  a  rampant  cow  dancing  on  the  ruins 
of  Julia's  parasol.  If  that  won't  make  a 
moving  picture,  then  I'm  sure  I  don't  know 
what  will,  for  my  part." 

"  But  we  were  running  to  the  fence  to 
get  some  rails,"  said  Jock,  though  he  tried 
to  laugh  at  the  description  Miss  Bessie  gave. 


THE  RESCUE. 


305 


"That  sounds  well.  It  sounds  better 
than  it  looked,"  she  replied  mischievously. 

The  conversation  was  interrupted  by 
the  return  of  Mr.  Clarke  and  the  remain- 
ing boys;  but  as  far  as  fishing  was  con- 
cerned, they  had  had  but  slightly  better 
success  than  Jock  and  Bob.  However,  the 
boatmen  had  secured  a  sufficient  number 
for  the  dinner,  and  as  the  viands  which 
had  been  cooking  over  the  fireplace  had 
not  been  molested  by  the  cattle,  a  repast 
was  soon  prepared  to  which  every  one  was 
ready  to  do  ample  justice. 

The  sounds  of  their  merry  laughter  rang 
out  over  the  water ;  and  when  at  last  the 
dinner  had  been  eaten,  and  the  company 
were  seated  on  the  bank  beneath  the 
shelter  of  the  overhanging  trees,  with  the 
wide  expanse  of  the  St.  Lawrence  before 
them,  and  the  recollections  of  the  exciting 
events  of  the  morning  banished  for  the 
time  being,  every  one  of  the  party  was 
ready  to  declare  that  the  loss  of  a  part 
of  the  dinner  had,  after  all,  but  added 
to  the  enjoyment  of  the  day. 


'I. 


iff 


1  -  h 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


A    MASSACRE. 


"  I  FANCY  you  have  been  combining 
pleasure  with  profit  this  summer,  as  you 
did  a  year  ago,"  suggested  Mr.  Clarke,  as 
a  momentary  lull  came  in  the  laughter 
and  shouts  of  the  merry  party. 

"  Do  you  mean  Bob's  C's  ? "  inquired 
Bert. 

"  That's  one  way  of  stating  it,"  replied 
Mr.  Clarke,  with  a  smile. 

"  Well,  we  made  Bob  promise  that  he 
wouldn't  bring  a  single  volume  of  his 
cyclopaedia   along   this  summer." 

*'  And  I  didn't,"  interrupted  Bob. 

**  No,  he  didn't,  that's  a  fact,"  acknowl- 
edged Bert;  "but  there's  no  rest  for  us, 
in  spite  of  it.  Bob  takes  us  when  we  can't 
he'p  ourselves,  and  then  begins  to  lecture 
about  some  of  those  red  fellows  who  were 
here  something  like  a  thousand  years  ago 
or  more.     For  my  part,  I'm  perfectly  will- 

306 


A  MASSACRE. 


307 


ing  to  accept  Bob's  word  that  they  were 
here,  and  let  it  go  at  that.  I'm  a  good 
deal  more  interested  in  the  people  who  are 
here  now,  this  very  summer,  than  I  am  in 
Frontenac  or  Pliips  or  any  of  those  old 
fellows.  I'm  up  to  date,  in  every  respect." 
And  as  Bert  spoke,  he  turned  to  one  of  the 
girls,  as  if  he  had  given  utterance  to  a 
sentiment  that  none  would  dare  dispute. 

"  There's  no  true  understanding  of  the 
present,"  said  Mr.  Clarke,  "  without  also 
understanding  the  elements  of  the  past 
that  have  helped  to  make  it.  When  I 
employ  a  new  man  in  my  business,  I  al- 
ways make  it  a  point  to  find  out  something 
concerning  his  family  as  well.  *  Blood 
tells '  and  ^  What's  bred  in  the  bone  will 
come  out'  are  common  maxims,  and  have 
a  deal  of  truth  in  them,  too.  For  my 
part,  I  think  your  friend  Bob's  effort  to  look 
up  the  history  of  this  region,  and  then  to 
impart  the  information  he  has  gained,  is 
very  praiseworthy  indeed." 

"  So  do  I,  and  so  do  we  all,"  said  Jock, 
quickly,  feeling  that  he  must  come  to  the 
rescue  of  his  friend.  "  Even  Bert  here 
likes  it,  talk  as  he  will." 

"I  like  it  well  enough,"  Bert  acknowl- 


308     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LA  WHENCE. 


edged.  "The  only  thing  I  object  to,  is  to 
liave  IJob  practise  on  us.  Yuu  see  he's  go- 
ing to  be  a  public  man  when  he  grows  up, 
and  he's  just  taking  every  chance  he  can 
get  to  u.se  his  embryo  talents.  The  suffer- 
ings we  have  been  compelled  to  endure, 
what  tongue  can  declare  ?  " 

"  Pity  about  you ! "  said  Jock,  half  angrily ; 
though  he  could  not  keep  from  laughing  at 
the  martyr-like  expression  and  attitude  as- 
sumed by  the  irrepressible  Bert. 

'^  I  suggest  that  Bob  give  us  some  of  his 
history  now,"  suggested  one  of  the  girls. 

''Can  you  begin  anywhere?"  inquired 
Mr.  Clarke  of  Bob. 

"  Oh,  yes ;  there's  no  difficulty  as  to  that. 
My  grandfather  used  to  tell  me  that  down 
in  Maine  the  shipbuilders  built  their  ships 
by  the  mile,  and  then  cut  them  off  at  any 
lengtii  required.  It's  some  such  way  with 
my  history,  I  think." 

"No  trouble  about  beginning  anywhere 
and  any  time,"  murmured  Bert.  "  The  only 
difficulty  I  ever  perceived  was  in  cutting  it 
off." 

"  I  don't  intend  to  inflict  myself  on  any- 
body," declared  Bob. 

As  all  the  company  now  united  in  beg- 


A  MASSACRE. 


309 


ging  Bob  to  give  at  least  a  chapter  from 
his  historical  story,  the  lad  at  last  con- 
sented, and  seated  with  his  back  against  a 
tree,  where  he  could  face  all  before  him,  he 
began  :  — 

*'  I've  told  the  boys  about  the  C(jniing  of 
Frontenac  to  New  France,  and  of  the  trou- 
bles he  had  with  the  Jesuits,  ard  how  he 
was  recalled  by  Louis  after  a  few  years, 
though  perhaps  he  went  back  to  France 
with  his  pockets  a  little  heavier  than  when 
he  first  came  over.  Then  I  explained  how 
it  was  that  liis  two  successors  were  not  equal 
to  the  ta.^  is.,  and  how  the  troubles  with  the 
Indians  and  the  English  became  so  great 
that  at  last  Frontenac  was  sent  back  here, 
and  how,  though  he  was  an  old  man,  his 
energy  began  at  once  to  assert  itseK.  He 
was  trying  to  win  back  the  friends 
among  the  red  men  whom  his  country  had, 
to  all  appearances,  lost,  and  at  the  same 
time  teach  his  enemies — I  mean,  of  course, 
the  English  and  unfriendly  tribes  —  a  les 
son  they  would  not  soon  forget. 

''Among  the  very  first  things  ne  did  was 
to  form  three  war  parties  who  were  to  move 
against  the  English  settlements.  One 
party   was  to   start    from   Montreal,   and 


i'ljfm 


■  WW^Wy^l^^!^;.  is^r-fW'*" ''■'''" 


r 


310     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LA  WHENCE. 

move  against  Alba^iy,  the  second  was  to 
start  from  Three  Rivers  and  make  war 
upon  the  scattered  settlers  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  the  third  was  to  start  from  Que- 
bec and  kill  the  unoffending  people  of 
Maine.  As  the  one  which  was  to  go  from 
Montreal  was  ready  first,  perhaps  I'd  bet- 
ter follow  that,  before  I  take  up  the  others ; 
though  I  have  no  doubt  you  know  much 
more  about  this  than  I  do,"  he  added,  speak- 
ing to  Mr.  Clarke. 

"  I'm  deeply  interested,"  replied  Mr. 
Clarke.     "  Pray  continue." 

"  There  were  over  two  hundred  ir.  this 
force,  and  not  quite  a  hundred  of  them  were 
so-called  Christian  Indians;  but  the  name 
doesn't  seem  to  sound  very  well  when  it  is 
applied  to  them." 

"  I  think  they  weie  as  much  Christian,  or 
more,  than  the  wliite  men  with  whom  they 
were  going,"  said  Mr.  Clarke.  '^  They 
didn't  any  of  them  appear  to  have  a  con- 
ception of  Christianity  as  a  life  ;  it  was 
more  of  the  acceptance  of  certain  state- 
ments, and  submission  to  certain  rites,  than 
anything  else." 

"Well,  they  started  out,  anyway,"  re- 
sumed Bob.     "  The  white   men   were,  for 


mcE, 


A  MASS  ACHE. 


311 


*vas  to 
iQ  war 
Hamp- 
[n  Que- 
)ple  of 
;o  from 
'd  bet- 
others ; 
'  much 
speak- 

d    Mr. 

ir.  this 
m  were 
J  name 
m  it  is 


(Id 


an,  or 


n  they 
They 
a  con- 
it  was 
state- 
\,  than 


rr  re- 
re,  for 


the  most  part,  coureiirs  de  bois  —  the  free- 
booters or  outlaws  I  told  you  about,  who 
were  particular  friends  of  Frontenac.  It 
was  in  the  middle  of  the  winter  — " 

"  What  winter?"  inquired  Miss  Bessie. 

"The  winter  of  1690.  They  dragged 
their  provisions  on  sledges  over  the  snow 
ard  ice,  and  every  man  had  the  hood  of  his 
coat  drawn  over  his  head,  and  carried  a 
gun,  a  knife,  a  hatchet,  and  a  few  other 
similar  articles  in  his  hands.  After  they 
had  gone  up  Lake  Champlain  on  the  ice, 
they  stopped  and  held  a  council.  It  seems 
Frontenac  had  not  told  them  they  must 
attack  Albany,  but  had  left  that  somewhat 
to  their  own  judgment;  though  it  was 
pretty  generally  understood  that  Albany 
was  the  place  they  were  bound  for. 

"  The  Indians  didn't  like  that  idea  very 
well,  for  they'd  already  been  taught  two  or 
three  pretty  good  lessons  by  the  Albany 
soldiers,  and  the  Frenchmen  tried  to  show 
them  that  they  were  bound  to  regain  their 
lost  '  honor,'  and  all  that  sort  of  thing. 
The  Indians  didn't  seem  to  be  very  eager 
to  hunt  for  that  somewhat  vague  quality, 
but  the  march  was  soon  resumed.  A  tha  v 
—  January  thaw,  probably  —  set    in,   and 


'•'T:    '^^  -      .r":' •.:},p'  -rf-:  'ii'-^-J-  r^^V  ?,■•"'■■■'■■,>'*■- 


312     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


I,  II 


"It 


i 


^'' 


< ' 


they  had  to  march  through  slush  that  was 
knee-deep.  It  took  them  eight  days  to 
reach  the  Hudson,  and  a  good  deal  of  the 
desire  to  avenge  their  honor  had  evaporated 
by  that  time,  so  Albany  wasn't  heard  of 
quite  so  often.  When  they  came  to  the 
spot  where  the  trail  divided,  —  one  part 
leading  to  Schenectady  and  the  other  to 
Albany,  —  they  very  quickly  decided  to  go 
to  Schenectady." 

"  Were  they  the  first  ones  to  sing  that 
classical  song  about  'fifteen  miles  from 
Schenectady  to  Troy'?"  inquired  Bert,  in 
mock  solemnity. 

"  They  were  the  first  tramps,  though 
perhaps  I  don't  know  as  much  as  you  do 
about  the  songs  tramps  sing,"  responded 
Bob.  ''  It  was  a  hard  tramp  they  had  of 
it,  anyway ;  and  when  nine  more  days  had 
gone,  they  were  still  six  miles  from  the  little 
settlement.  You  see,  Schenectady  was  the 
very  outermost  post  the  English  had  at  that 
time,  and  that  really  was  more  Dutch  than 
English.  The  thaw  had  now  gone,  and  the 
weather  had  become  intensely  cold. 

"  Just  then  they  stumbled  on  a  wigwam, 
and  found  four  Iroquois  squaws  in  it,  and 
at  once  captured  them." 


A  MASSACRE. 


313 


"  Brave  lads ! "  shouted  Bert,  sitting 
quickly  erect  and  clapping  his  hands. 
"  To  march  all  the  way  from  Montreal 
was  worth  that,   I*m  sure." 

"There  was  a  fire  in  the  wigwam," 
resumed  Bob,  ignoring  the  interruption, 
"  and  of  course  the  half-frozen  men 
crowded  into  it." 

''  What !  The  whole  two  hundred  of 
them  ?  "  demanded  Bert. 

"  You  mustn't  ask  too  many  questions," 
laughed  Bob.  "  I'm  only  giving  you  what 
the  historians  say.  One  of  the  Frenchmen 
made  a  speech,  and  exhorted  his  fellows  to 
wash  out  their  wrongs  in  blood,  and  all 
that  sort  of  thing ;  though  what  wrongs 
the  poor  half-frozen  fellows  had  suffered, 
I  don't  believe  they  themselves  could  have 
told.  The  man  whom  they  had  sent  ahead 
to  reconnoitre  soon  returned,  and  explained 
that  they  were  near  the  end  of  their  jour- 
ney ;  so  they  planned  to  fall  upon  Schenec- 
tady at  two  o'clock  the  next  morning.  But 
it  was  too  cold  for  them  to  stay  where  they 
were  and  wait,  so,  making  the  squaws  show 
them  the  way,  they  started  at  once.  The 
snow  was  blowing  and  the  wind  was  howl- 
ing ;  but   tli  J    mana,o*ed,  somehow,  to  get 


r^;^,riv^, 


■::.?"'/-" 


1 


1!',  '!i 


314     HOUSiJ-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

across  the  Mohawk  on  the  ice,  and  started 
through  the  drifts  toward  the  little  set- 
tlement. 

"Schenectady,  like  a  good  many  of  the 
other  settlements,  was  not  in  the  best  of 
conditions.  You  see,  the  men  were  Dutch- 
men, for  the  most  part ;  and  as  I  have  before 
remarked,  the  colonists  were  ranged,  some 
on  the  side  of  King  James,  and  some  stood 
up  for  William  and  Mary.  They  ous^ht  to 
have  agreed  in  guarding  the  place,  but  they 
'  laughed  to  scorn,'  so  to  speak,  the  advice 
of  the  leader,  Glen,  to  keep  a  guard.  They 
left  the  gates  wide  open ;  and  to  show  their 
contempt  for  leader  and  foe  alike,  made  two 
snow  men  near  the  entrances,  and  laugh- 
ingly declared  that  they  should  be  their 
guards. 

"  The  people  were  all  asleep,  as  all  good 
people  are,  or  ought  to  be,  at  that  time  of 
the  night ;  and  without  a  gun  having  been 
fired,  the  invaders  just  surrounded  the  place. 
Then  the  signal  was  given,  and  with  a 
screech  and  a  scream  they  rushed  on  to  the 
settlement.  They  battered  down  the  doors, 
and  shot  or  clubbed  the  half-dazed  people 
who  rushed  out  into  the  night.  I've  often 
thought  since  I  read  the  account  of  it,  what 


A  MASSACRE. 


316 


an  awful  night  that  must  have  been.  The 
sound  of  the  guns,  the  warwhoop  of  the 
savages,  the  blow  of  the  tomahawk, 
the  thrust  of  a  knife,  wherever  the  dis- 
tracted people  rushed !  Not  even  the 
women  and  children  were  spared,  though 
not  one  of  the  Indians  in  the  settlement 
was  harmed,  and  there  were  thirty  of  them, 
you  know. 

"  Well,  for  two  hours  the  massacre  was 
kept  up,  and  though  a  few  of  the  Schenec- 
tady men  tried  to  make  a  stand,  they 
couldn't  really  do  much ;  and  only  a  few, 
a  very  few,  contrived  to  get  away,  and 
started  through  the  storm  for  Albany. 
Sixty  of  the  innocent  people  had  been  slain  ; 
and  with  about  ninety  prisoners,  the  vic- 
torious band,  their  ^  honor '  now  having 
been  avenged,  started  on  their  return  to 
Montreal. 

"A  small  band  in  the  morning  crossed 
the  river  to  the  house  where  Glen  was.  He 
had  summoned  all  his  servants  and  friends  ; 
and  as  the  place  had  loop-holes  and  pali- 
sades, he  was  at  first  determined  to  hold 
out,  hoping,  of  course,  that  help  would  come 
from  Albany.  The  Frenchmen  promised 
him  that  they  wouldn't '  hurt  even  a  chicken 


m^m 


t  i  ' 


Mi  I 


i ' 


i 

A- 

1         iBI 

i 

1 

^sa^B  mm 

in 

11      ^'ffl 


ff 


\ 


!  It  1 


*|]l 


316     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

of  his,'  if  he  would  give  up ;  and  so  after 
he  had  made  them  lay  aside  their  arms,  he 
let  them  enter.  You  see,  several  times  in 
former  years  Glen  had  saved  the  lives  of 
some  of  the  French  from  the  Mohawks, 
after  they  had  been  captured,  and  they 
were  going  to  pay  up  all  their  old  scores 
now.  So  they  spared  him  and  all  his 
relatives,  —  though  the  Indians  were  very 
much  disgusted  at  the  number  of  these, 
for  I  fancy  Glen  stretched  his  family  mantle 
pretty  wide  that  day ;  and  even  refusing 
to  burn  two  or  three  houses  that  were  his, 
the  invaders  left  the  rest  of  Schenectady 
in  ashes,  and  with  their  booty  and  prisoners, 
and  with  horses  now  to  draw  their  sledges, 
they  made  good  time  for  Canada. 

"A  lot  of  the  soldiers  and  Indians  fol- 
lowed the  Frenchmen  and  their  friends, 
who,  when  they  had  come  almost  within 
sight  of  Montreal,  naturally  thought  all 
danger  of  pursuit  was  past.  They  were 
almost  worn  out,  they  had  been  in  such 
haste  to  get  back,  and  had  even  eaten  the 
most  of  their  horses  for  food.  But  right 
there,  almost  within  sight  of  home,  as  I 
said,  the  avengers  fell  upon  them,  and  killed 
several,  and  took  a  number  of  prisoners, 


!lli- 


A  MASSACRE. 


31T 


who  made  matters  worse  by  saying  that 
Frontenac  was  surely  going  to  fall  upon 
Albany. 

"  Of  course  the  English  and  the  Mo- 
hawks, who  hated  the  French,  were  terribly 
aroused.  Matters  were  raade  worse  by  the 
reports  which  came  from  the  massacres 
inflicted  by  the  other  two  forces  that 
Frontenac  had  sent  into  New  Hampshire 
and  Maine ;  and  Schuyler,  the  governor  at 
Albany,  urged  the  New  England  people  to 
join  him  in  crushing  the  French. 

'^  The  New  Eni^landers  had  had  about  all 
of  fighting  the  Indians  they  wanted,  for 
King  Philip's  War  hadn't  been  ended  more 
than  a  dozen  vears ;  but  the  stories  that 
came  now  from  Maine  and  New  Hampshire 
were  too  strong  to  be  resisted,  and  so  this 
man  Phips,  of  whom  I  told  you  the  other 
day,  came  into  prominence  as  a  leader  of 
the  Eastern  forces.  But  I've  told  you 
enough  for  one  time,  and  I'm  going  to  stop 
right  here  and  now." 

*'  I  didn't  know  Frontenac  was  that  kind 
of  a  man,"  murmured  Miss  Bessie. 

"  He  was  pretty  much  like  all  the  others 
of  his  time,  only  he  had  a  little  more  energy 
and  go  to  him,"  said  Mr.  Clarke.     "  Per- 


m  i^^ 


i ', 


Uv 


318     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

haps  Bob  will  tell  us  some  more  another 
day.  It  certainly  is  an  interesting  story, 
It's  time  now  for  us  to  go  on  board  the 
yacht  again." 

The  party  instantly  responded,  and  after 
a  delightful  sail  among  the  islands,  just  at 
dusk  the  boys  were  landed  at  their  house- 
boat, where  the  two  boatmen  had  supper 
waiting  ix"»r  them. 

"  To-morrow  you'll  go  with  me  ? "  in- 
quired Bert  of  Bob  that  evening. 

"  Yes." 

**  You  know  more  than  you'll  own  to," 
said  Bert. 

"  You'll  know  more  yourself,  to-morrow," 
replied  Bob,  dryly,  as  he  prepared  to  retire 
for  the  night. 


h'!. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


THE  LESSON. 


It  was  long  before  the  house-boat  was 
astir,  on  the  following  morning,  when  Bob 
and  Bert  took  one  of  the  skiffs  and  set 
forth  on  an  expedition  which  it  was  evi- 
dent they  desired  to  keep  secret  from  their 
fellows.  Even  Jed  was  unaware  of  the 
project,  fondly  believing  that  only  one  of 
the  boys  was  aware  of  the  search  for  the 
shotted  cannon  which  he  hoped  was  to  be 
made. 

Bob,  who  was  rowing,  pulled  quietly  at 
the  oars,  and  assisted,  as  he  was,  by  the 
strong  current  of  the  river,  soon  passed 
behind  one  of  the  islands,  and  so  was  effec- 
tively concealed  from  the  sight  of  those 
who  had  been  left  behind.  His  confidence 
was  now  somewhat  restored,  and  glancing 
demurely  at  his  friend  who  was  seated  in 
the  stern  of  the  skiff,  he  said,  "  You  are  an 
attractive  looking  bird,  Bert." 

319 


<        M 


KUk 


H 


\m 


iSi* 


I  U   •! 


320     JlOU HE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE, 

"  It's  the  early  bird  that  puts  in  the  fine 
work,  you  know,"  replied  Bert,  his  teeth 
chattering,  for  the  air  of  the  early  morning 
was  cool. 

"  I  would  that  your  friends  might  behold 
you  now." 

"  I'm  satisfied  as  it  is." 

Bert  was  clad  in  a  bathing  suit,  and,  in 
the  chill  of  the  early  morning  air,  naturally 
was  not  over  warm.  He  had  brought  with 
him  a  light  overcoat,  and  drawing  this  more 
closely  about  him,  endeavored  to  assume  an 
air  of  comfort  which,  if  the  truth  was 
known,  he  was  far  from  feeling. 

"  I  don't  just  see  what  it  is  that  makes 
you  so  eager,"  said  Bob. 

"  Gold,  Bco,  gold.  If  Phips  could  find  it, 
so  can  we." 

"  You  haven't  made  many  discoveries  as 
yet." 

"I've  found  you  out,  and  that's  some- 
thing. I  wouldn't  have  believed  it  of  you. 
Bob — I  wouldn't,  for  a  fact.  The  idea  that 
you  would  go  into  a  scheme  of  this  kind 
and  leave  your  friends  outside  !  It's  be- 
yond belief,  that's  what  it  is." 

"  I  don't  seem  to  have  left  one  out," 
remarked  Bob,  quietly. 


rilE  LESSON. 


321 


iveries  as 


<*  Do  you  mean  me  ?  Well,  all  I  can  say 
is,  that  it  isn't  any  fault  of  yours  that  I  am 
where  I  am.  You'd  have  gone  alone  if  I 
hadn't  been  too  sharp  for  you." 

"It  isn't  every  one  that  can  get  ahead 
of  you,  Bert,  that's  a  fact." 

There  was  a  quizzical  expression  on  Bob's 
face  that  might  have  boded  no  good  to  his 
companion,  had  not  Bert  been  so  engrossed 
in  his  own  elation  that  he  was  apparently 
unmindful  of  all  else ;  but  u<s  it  was,  Bert 
failed  to  see  it,  and  his  suspicions  were 
therefore  not  aroused. 

For  a  time  neither  of  the  boys  spoke, 
and  the  skiff  swept  swiftly  on  down  the 
river.  There  was  an  exhilaration  in  the 
bracing  air  of  the  early  hour.  The  songs 
of  the  birds  were  heard  in  the  trees  and 
shrubbery  of  the  islands  as  the  boys  passed, 
and  the  hue  of  the  water  was  beautiful 
beyond  description.  The  silence  that  rested 
over  the  river  was  unbroken  by  the  pres- 
ence of  man,  and  it  seemed  as  if,  for  a  time 
at  least,  the  region  had  relapsed  into  its 
primitive  condition,  such  as  it  had  known 
long  before  the  coming  of  Cartier  or  Fron- 
tenac,  or  the  more  modern  explorer,  who 
was  known  in  the  vernacular  of  the  border 


(•f 


•(   ' 


m  pi^  ij 


wSml  I 


ill 


!««> 


i...,^.  - 


Ui.s 


822     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   TIIK  8T.    LAWRENCE. 


n 


as  **  the  summer  boarder."  Occasionally, 
in  the  distance,  the  whirl  of  some  fish  could 
be  seen,  as  he  rose  to  the  surface  to  seize 
"  the  early  worm "  or  venturesome  min- 
now, and  so  make  his  breakfast  before  the 
fishermen  had  started  on  their  daily  quest. 
There  was  a  deeper  green  in  the  shade  of 
the  trees,  the  very  air  was  instinct  with  the 
coming  day,  and  the  peace  and  quiet  of  the 
majestic  river  were  never  so  impressive  to 
the  boys  as  in  that  early  hour. 

At  least,  so  thought  Bob,  who  half 
dreamily  continued  his  rowing,  only  occa- 
sionally lifting  his  eyes  to  gaze  shrewdly  at 
his  companion.  What  his  thoughts  were, 
was  not  evident  from  any  word  he  spoke ; 
and  the  eager  lad  with  him  was  so  en- 
grossed with  the  purpose  for  which  he,  at 
all  events,  had  set  forth,  that  he  had  slight 
inclination  to  become  suspicious  of  the  de- 
signs under  which  Bob  had  permitted  him 
to  accompany  him  at  the  time. 

"How's  the  weather  now?"  ii quired 
Bob,  at  last. 

"  The  weather  ?  Why,  it's  all  riglit.  It's 
a  perfect  day,"  responded  Bert,  innocently. 

"  The  temperature,  I  mean.  Do  you  feel 
cold?" 


VRENCE, 


THE  LEH80N. 


323 


"Fve  been  warmer,"  Bert  admitted, 
striving  as  he  spoke  to  prevent  his  teeth 
from  making  such  a  commotion. 

"  We  can  go  back  to  the  house-boat  if 
you  want  to.  The  fellows  won't  be  up 
yet,  and  no  one  will  know  what  you've 
been  up  to." 

*'  You  can't  get  rid  of  me  in  any  such 
way.  I've  started  to  test  your  scheme, 
and  I'll  know  more  about  it  before  we  go 
back." 

Bert  spoke  decidedly,  but  Bob  was  not  to 
be  deceived  by  the  apparent  determination 
of  his  friend.  Bert  of  all  the  boys  was  the 
one  to  be  most  easily  discouraged,  and  his 
strongest  hope  was  that  after  the  plan  he 
had  in  mind  had  been  put  to  the  test,  Bert, 
of  his  own  free  will,  would  abandon  all 
further  efforts,  and  so  leave  him  free  to 
make  further  investigations  of  his  own. 
The  more  phlegmatic  Bob,  sturdy  and  not 
easily  diverted  from  a  course  of  action 
upon  which  he  had  entered,  was  sufficiently 
interested  now  to  have  formed  the  resolu- 
tion to  go  on.  The  sight  of  what  might 
prove  to  be  a  sunken  cannon  had  strength- 
ened his  purpose,  but  he  was  in  no  wise 
minded  to  have  even  Bert  share  the  search 


,  ■  ■■v;;.tiV'V-'I'-  ■  '■ -'S^'-'"*  ,  7    -    V''^^ '" 


'I 


■;  t 


<:    ■  I 


i| 


324     nOU HE-BOAT  ON  THE  8T.   LAWRENCE. 

with  him  until  a  more  thorough  examina- 
tion had  been  made.  It  would  be  ample 
time  to  inform  the  others  when  die  cannon 
had  indeed  been  found ;  and  if,  on  the 
other  hand,  as  was  not  unlikely,  the  whole 
matter  should  prove  to  be  one  born  of  Jed's 
imagination,  no  one  knew  better  than  Bob 
from  what  he  would  be  saved,  in  case  of 
failure,  by  the  lack  of  knowledge  on  the 
part  of  his  comrades. 

Meanwhile,  as  Bert  had  discovered  enough 
to  make  him  troublesome  if  he  should  be 
ignored  or  turned  aside,  there  was  nothing 
to  be  done  except  to  permit  him  to  go  on, 
as  he  seemed  to  be  determined  to  do.  But 
Bob  had  no  idea  of  permitting  his  friend,  at 
this  stage,  to  know  more  than  he  thought 
ought  to  be  known  by  him.  He  would  not 
openly  oppose  him,  but  there  were  other 
means,  just  as  effective  and  far  less  perilous, 
which  might  be  employed,  and  so  Bob  was 
not  discourage 

The  skiff  was  now  near  the  spot  where 
Bert  had  discovered  him  two  days  before 
this  time,  and  well  aware  that  Bert  also 
would  recognize  the  locality.  Bob  said,  — 

"  We're  close  on  the  trail  now." 

"So  I  see." 


THE  LESSON. 


325 


"  Perhaps  we'd  better  go  a  little  farther 
down  the  river." 

^'  No,  sir  !  "  replied  Bert,  emphatically. 
*'  You  aren't  going  to  throw  me  off  the 
track  by  any  such  trick  as  that.  I  believe 
in  you,  but  I'm  afraid  of  you,  too.  It  v.;cs 
right  here  you  were,  when  I  was  watc;.;ng 
you  the  other  day." 

''  Sure  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sure." 

"  My  advice  would  be  to  go  a  little  farther 
down  the  river." 

The  true  place  was  indeed  several  rods 
below  that  where  they  were ;  but  as  Bob 
perceived  that  any  suggestion  to  row  to 
another  locality  only  intensified  his  friend's 
determination  to  remain  where  they  were, 
he  had  no  fear  of  referring  to  the  other  spot. 

"Can't  see  very  well  this  morning,"  said 
Bob,  glancing  over  the  side  of  the  skiff  as 
he  spoke.  "  There's  just  wind  enough  to 
ruffle  the  water." 

"  This  is  the  place,"  said  Bert,  firmly. 
"  ^  Sink  or  swim,  survive  or  perish,'  here  I 
go." 

As  he  spoke,  Bert  divested  himself  of 
his  overcoat  and  stood  up  in  the  skiff,  clad, 
as  has  been  said,  in  his  bathing  suit. 


t-i  n 


„.,,  .,,,..  -T..^^r,  ■•*,;-;:  .-i'-'^iy''- '^^!^•■f9t•y■i■i^4''^^'^,l'A: 


■~     l^i'f,   ;.;'r*"r'^"~:AT-^'-^'.V 


ug 


iU 


326     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


(     '«! 


iSi! 


"  Pretty  cold,"  suggested  Bob. 

"  Bother  the  cold.     I  don't  feel  R." 

"  Don't  you  think  you'd  better  put  off 
till  to-morrow  what  ought  not  to  be  done 
to-day  ?  "  inquired  Bob,  solemnly. 

"  No,  sir.  Here  goes.  Keep  the  skiff  right 
here,  and  I'll  be  up  in  a  minute  or  two." 

"  I  think  you  will,"  said  Bob  to  himself. 
*'  What  a  pity  it  is  that  I'm  so  poor  a 
swimmer,"  he  said  aloud. 

"Never  mind  that.  You  do  your  part 
and  I'll  do  mine.  Now,  then,  keep  her 
steady."  And  hesitating  a  moment,  Bert 
leaped  into  the  water,  and  disappeared  from 
sight. 

A  longer  period  elapsed  than  Bob  thought 
it  possible  for  any  one  to  remain  beneath 
the  surface  before  Bert  appeared  again, 
puffing  and  blowing  the  water  from  his 
mouth,  and  shaking  his  head  as  a  dog  might 
have  done. 

Bert  was  thoroughly  at  home  in  the 
water,  and  it  was  this  fact  which  had  led 
him  to  choose  the  course  he  was  now  fol- 
lowing. 

"  Did  you  find  it  ?  Did  you  see  anything 
of  the  cannon  ? "  inquired  Bob,  in  mock 
eagerness. 


^CE. 


THE  LESSON. 


327 


ut  off 
i  done 

f  right 
wo. 
imself. 
poor  a 

r  part 
ip  her 
b,  Bert 
d  from 

nought 

eneath 

again, 

m   his 

might 

n  the 
ad  led 
3W  fol- 

ything 
mock 


"  Not  this  time,"  replied  Bob,  as  he  clam- 
bered on  board,  almost  overturning  the 
skiff  in  his  efforts. 

"  What  do  you  get  in  here  for  I "  de- 
manded Bob,  sharply.  "  Why  don't  you 
rest  by  taking  hold  of  the  skiff,  and  then 
let  go  and  go  down  ?  " 

•'  Because  I  want  to  dive.  Here  T  ^o 
again,"  and  once  more  Bert  disappeared  in 
the  water. 

His  second  attempt  was  not  rewarded 
any  better  than  the  first  had  been,  and  Bob 
said,  "  Is  your  ardor  cooled  ?  Dampened, 
so  to  speak  ?  " 

"  Nay,  verily,"  and  the  excited  lad  again 
was  lost  to  sight. 

Repeated  efforts  brought  no  better  suc- 
cess, and  it  became  evident  that  Bert's 
enthusiasm  was  fast  departing.  The  water 
was  cold,  and  though  a  cold  bath  might  be 
all  right  in  its  place,  it  was  evident  that 
even  the  best  of  things  might  be  overdone. 

"  Want  to  go  back  now  ?  "  inquired  Bob. 

"  No,"  replied  Bert,  with  chattering  teeth. 

"  Perhaps  we'd  do  better  to  go  farther 
down  the  river,"  suggested  Bob,  though  he 
was  not  entirely  withoiit  fear  that  his  words 
might  be  heeded. 


«*  n 


_.  i. 


iilin 


^m 


'"s -jjjyf;  1'  K!;,'^,'  ;•  ^^-'r^^;!--;?- ••^^'t^^;:.'-  i'-H: 


328    nOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


It  ■'! 


ii'^ii 


m\ 


m 


I   ! 


"  Not  much ! "  retorted  Bert,  his  suspi- 
cions instantly  returning,  now  that  his  friend 
wanted  him  to  abandon  his  efforts. 

"  All  right,  have  it  your  own  way." 

"  It  seems  to  me  that's  just  what  I  am 
having,  and  not  much  besides." 

"Haven't  you  seen  anything  of  a  can- 
non ?  " 

"  Not  exactly  " 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  '  not  exactly '  ? 
Have  you  seen  anything  that  looked  as  if 
it  might  be  one  ? " 

"Just  row  about  ten  feet  farther  up 
stream,"  replied  Bert.  "  I  want  to  try  it 
there." 

"  It  shall  be  done,  my  lord.  You  have 
but  to  command,  and  it  is  done." 

As  soon  as  the  skiff  was  motionless  again, 
Bert  repeated  his  efforts ;  but  success  was 
apparently  as  far  distant  as  before,  when  he 
once  more  returned  to  the  surface.  Nor 
did  the  half-dozen  other  descents  into  the 
river  meet  with  any  better  returns. 

"Don't  be  discouraged,"  said  Bob,  glibly. 
"  Perseverance  and  all  that  sort  of  thing, 
you  know.  Don't  give  it  up,  bat  keep  it 
up. 

Bert  made  no  reply,  though  once  more 


THE  LESSON. 


329 


he  disappeared  in  the  water,  this  time  making 
an  extreme  effort  to  remain  on  the  bottom, 
and  look  about  him.  When  he  resumed 
his  seat  in  the  skiff,  even  Bob  was  moved 
by  the  evident  distress  of  his  friend;  but 
as  he  was  desirous  that  the  lesson  of  the 
morning  should  be  complete,  he  did  not 
refer  to  that,  and  simply  said :  — 

^'  When  you've  had  enough,  say  so.  I 
thought  perhaps  you'd  bring  up  the  can- 
non with  you  this  time." 

^'  I-I-I  ought  to-to  q-quit,  I  sup-p-p-pose," 
chattered  Bert. 

"  Why  don't  you,  then,  if  you  ought  to?  " 

"  I  g-g-guess  I  w-w-will.  I-I-I  w-w-ish 
I  had  a-a  f-f-furnace  h-h-ere,  or  s-s-some- 
thing  hot." 

"  I'm  not  in  the  least  cold,"  said  Bob, 
soothingly.  "  I  don't  just  see  what  it  is 
that  makes  you  so  chilly." 

'^  G-g-get  d-d-own  there  in  the  b-b-b-bot- 
tom  of  the  S-s-st.  Lawrence,  a-and  y-y-ou'll 
f-f-feel  it,  if  you  c-c-can't  see  it." 

"  Isn't  there  something  I  can  do  for 
you?  It  grieves  me  to  see  you  sit  there 
chattering  like — like — " 

"  Y-y-yes  t-there's  something  y-y-you 
c-can  d-do." 


p 

i  * 

r 

■r-  'Wf^il 

yt  ^^H 

i 

1 

I 

» 

1 

'  *i'S 

li  ,.ji 

^'  i 

■ 

■ 

1        '              ' 

) 

^^^H 

.     i  <,•^  .1 

^^H 

a     : 

1 

330     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

*  What  is  it  ?  I'll  do  it  gladly,  willingly, 
eagerly,  fondly,  longingly,  with  pleasure 
and  delight,  with  joy  unspeakable  — " 

"  I-t's  t-to  s-s-shut  your  teeth  t-t-together 
so  tight  t-that  a  w-word  can't  g-g-g-get 
out,"  Bert  managed  to  ejaculate. 

"  I'll  do  all  but  that.     That  I  cannot  do." 

"  Then  1-1-let  me  t-t-take  those  oars  a-a-nd 
g-g-get  warm." 

"  Wouldn't  you  rather  have  these  ?  "  and 
as  he  spoke.  Bob  drew  forth  a  bundle  of 
clothing,  tied  with  a  bath-towel,  and 
handed  it  to  his  friend. 

"  Y-y-you're  a  good  boy.  Bob.  I-I  n-n- 
never  thought  of  that." 

"  Well,  I  did ;  now  take  them  and  go  up 
behind  those  bushes,  and  put  some  dry 
clothes  on." 

Bert  was  speedily  landed,  and  as  soon  as 
he  was  concealed  from  sight.  Bob  picked  up 
his  oars,  and  began  to  row  swiftly  and 
silently  away  from  the  island. 

As  soon  as  he  was  satisfied  that  he 
could  not  be  seen,  he  said  slowly  to  himself: 
"  It  cuts  me  to  the  heart,  to  be  compelled  to 
leave  Bert  there ;  but  I'm  doing  it  for  his 
good,  as  my  mother  used  to  say  to  me 
upon  divers  occasions  and    sundry   times, 


r--!"^'! 


w 


THE  LESSON. 


331 


and 


I 


that  are  deeply  impressed  in  my  memory. 
It's  too  bad  to  see  so  bright  and  promising 
a  youth,  so  mad  after  gold.  Nothing  will 
avail  for  him,  except  a  season  of  fasting 
and  meditation.  Yes.  I'm  acting  solely  for 
his  good,  and  some  day  he'll  see  it  in  its 
true  light,  and  bless  me  for  my  thought- 
fulness.  If  you  don't  check  this  madness 
early  in  its  career,  it  may  be  everlastingly 
too  late." 

Just  then  the  faint  sound  of  a  shout 
came  from  the  direction  of  the  island  where 
the  subject  of  his  meditation  had  been  left. 

"  Ah,  yes.  Even  now  he  seems  to  be 
coming  to  himself,"  murmured  Bob,  as  he 
still  continued  to  row  leisurely  toward  the 
camp.  "  Just  listen  to  that,"  he  added,  as 
the  shout  was  repeatedly  heard.  "  Just 
hear  his  sighs  and  groans.  His  cries  are 
indeed  agonizing,  even  heart-rending.  I 
trust  I  never  shall  be  bitten  with  this 
money  madness.  No  cure  for  it,  but  fast- 
ing and  meditation,  either.  His  conscience 
must  be  tearing  its  way  out,"  he  added 
grimly,  as  the  tone  of  the  shouter  decidedly 
changed.  "At  any  other  time,  i  might  be 
led  to  think  that  Bert  was  angry,  but  as  it 
is,  I  am  sure  his   fasting  and   meditation 


■  !  ! 


$ 


■'Mjiffv<f,%;m^'ifj»hiii:v.<3if  ■mjtH'^^ 


I     %] 


h  u 


^■f 


832    HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWBENCE. 

are  getting  in  their  fine  work,  particularly 
the  fasting.  Poor  lad !  I'm  eager  to  see 
him  clothed,  and  in  his  right  mind ;  but  I 
must  deny  myself  that  privilege,  for  it's 
getting  late,  and  I  want  my  breakfast." 

And  Bob  began  to  row  swiftly  toward 
the  house-boat,  which  now  was  not  far 
distant. 


CHAPTER   XXVII 


THE   CAMP-FIRE. 


,/hen  Bob  rejoined  his  companions  they 
were  seated  at  the  breakfast-table,  and  his 
arrival  was  greeted  with  many  bantering 
words,  to  which  he  made  no  reply. 

"  Where's  Bert  ? "  demanded  Ben.  "  We 
haven't  seen  him  this  morning." 

"  Why,  isn't  he  here  ? "  replied  Bob,  in 
well-feigned  surprise. 

"  No.  There  must  be  something  up  when 
Bert  doesn't  come  to  breakfast.  He  can't 
be  off  the  island,  for  the  other  skiff  is 
here." 

"  Strange,"  murmured  Bob,  as  he  seated 
himself  beside  his  friends,  and  began  to 
attack  the  viands  before  him,  a  task  for 
which  his  feelings  made  him  ready,  we  may 
be  well  assured. 

The  continued  absence  of  Bert  was  a 
cause  of  much  comment,  but  Bob  volun- 
teered  no  information,  simply   expressing 

333 


'f 


:4j" 


41 


t  { 


«9!  I  '  1 1 


!> 


II 


t( 


i! 


il 


tif 


f 


'W»"?»!WVi- 


I'"    !  11 


i  i   l' 


Hi!  I 
! 


Il    ;  |: 
Hi  :i  i 


111191 


334     nOU HE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LA  WHENCE. 

his  opinion  that  the  missing  boy  was  not 
far  away,  and  that  he  would  soon  appear. 
The  others  were  by  no  means  so  confident ; 
but  with  Bob's  promise  to  look  him  up, 
they  were  made  content,  and  soon  after 
breakfast  the  parties  started  upon  the  ex- 
peditions of  the  day. 

Bob  had  contrived  to  have  Jed  assigned 
to  him  as  boatman,  and  promising  that  he 
would  speedily  report  to  the  others  if  no 
trace  of  Bert  was  found,  they  all  set  forth 
on  their  way.  As  Ethan  and  the  other 
two  boys  '  id  explained  where  they  were  to 
fish,  there  would  be  no  difliculty  in  finding 
them  in  case  they  were  needed.  Bob  had 
filled  a  basket  with  a  goodly  supply  of  pro- 
visions ;  and  giving  the  word  to  Jed,  his 
skiff  was  soon  moving  swiftly  down  the  river, 
in  the  direction  of  the  island  where  Bert 
had  been  left  for  his  "  season  of  fasting  and 
meditation." 

It  was  not  long  afterward  when  Bert 
was  perceived  standing  on  the  shore,  wav- 
ing his  hands,  and  excitedly  calling  upon 
his  friends  to  come  to  his  aid.  Jed,  who 
had  not  been  informed  of  the  suspicions 
and  present  predicament  of  Bert,  was  at  a 
loss  to  understand  what  it  all  meant;  but 


THE  CAMP-FIRE. 


335 


he  heeded  Bob's  words,  who  had  directed 
him  to  let  liim  land,  and  promised  to  go 
out  of  sight  down  the  river,  and  return  in 
the  course  of  an  hour. 

Taking  the  luncheon  in  his  hand,  Bob 
quickly  leaped  ashore,  and  despite  the  pro- 
tests of  Bert,  pushed  back  the  skiff  into  the 
strong  current,  and  before  either  of  the 
boys  could  say  much,  both  Jed  and  the  boat 
had  disappeared  from  sight. 

Bert  was  angry.  Bob  had  no  difficulty  in 
perceiving  that,  before  a  word  had  been 
uttered.  "  That's  a  smart  trick  you  played 
on  me  !  "  exclaimed  Bert,  indignantly. 

"What  trick?  What  are  you  talking 
about  ?  " 

"  About  your  leaving  me  here." 

"  Clothed ;  but  not  yet  in  his  right 
mind,"  murmured  Bob,  pretending  to  be 
interested  in  something  he  had  discovered 
out  on  the  river. 

"I  didn't  believe  you'd  ever  do  that," 
said  Bert,  reproachfully. 

"  Do  what  ?  " 

"  Leave  me  here  in  the  cold,  and  without 
a  mouthful  of  breakfast." 

Without  replying,  Bob  opened  the  bas- 
ket in  his  hand  and  held  it  forth  to  his 


'> 


f 


I,i 


;!' 


I 


ki  I'- 


(• 


s 


It       I 


j 


\    it 


1^ 


pi, I 
^lli  ! 


;i 


ii 


I 


ii 


836    HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

friend.  Hunger  was  stronger  than  Bert's 
feeling  of  anger,  and  quickly  taking  the 
basket,  he  began  to  eat  as  if  food  had  not 
been  seen  for  a  long  time. 

As  he  ate,  Bob  watched  him,  and  his  eyes 
twinkled  as  he  perceived  that  Bert's  anger 
was  rapidly  disappearing,  though  the  lad 
still  strove  to  keep  up  his  apparent  indig- 
nation.    It  was  difficult  for  Bert  long  to 
hold  to  any  one  line  of  thought  or  action, 
and  when  at  last  all  the  food  had  disap- 
peared, still  striving  to  appear  angry,  he 
turned  to  Bob  and  said  :  — 
"  Now  explain  yourself.  Bob." 
"  I've  nothing  to  explain." 
"  What  did  you  leave  me  here  for  ?  " 
"  For  to  dress,  and  a  few  other  things." 
"  Well,  I'm  dressed." 
"  So  I've  noticed." 
"  Are  you  satisfied  now  ?  " 
"  I've  been  satisfied  all  the  time." 
"  Well,  what  are  we  here  for  then  ?    Why 
don't  we  clear  out  ?  " 

"  Clear  out  ?  I  thought  you'd  be  ready 
to  go  on  with  the  search  for  those  shotted 
cannon.  You're  a  good  diver,  Bert.  I've 
seldom  seen  better." 

**Do  you  expect  me  to  go  down  there 


TUE  CAMP'FIUE. 


33T 


»> 


Why 

ready 

otted 

I've 

there 


again  ?  **  demanded  Bert,  with  a  shudder, 
as  he  ghanced  toward  the  scene  of  the  morn- 
ing labors. 

"Why,  yes.  Wasn't  that  what  you 
wanted  ?  I  thought  you  said  that  the  one 
ambition  of  your  life  was  to  come  out  here 
with  me  and  help  find  the  cannon.  Jed 
isn't  here,  and  there's  no  one  to  molest  or 
make  us  afraid.  You  can  put  on  that  bath- 
ing suit  and  keep  it  up  till  noon.  Jed'll  be 
back  by  that  time,  and  I'll  take  him  and 
the  skiff  and  go  back  to  the  house-boat 
and  bring  you  some  luncheon,  then  this 
afternoon  you  can  try  it  again  and  I'll 
bring  you  your  supper.  You  won't  want 
too  many  interruptions,  I  know,  and  per- 
haps ten  o'clock  will  be  as  late  as  we  ought 
to  keep  at  it." 

"'We'  keep  at  it?"  demanded  Bert, 
sharply.  "  What  have  you  had  to  do,  I'd 
like  to  know  ? " 

"  If  you'd  seen  the  trouble  I've  had  to 
keep  the  other  fellows  away,  you  wouldn't 
be  asking  me  such  questions  as  that.  '  No- 
body knows  the  trouble  I've  had.'  " 

"  Oh,  well,  it  isn't  worth  while  to  keep 
at  it.  We've  found  out  about  all  there  is 
to  be  learned,  I  fancy." 


I 


; 
1  ' 


•'^fm 


'  ji^seiiSi""  •«'"  ■ 


mi 


■■it 


u  n 


'ffl 


Kllilili     I 


!,     ||ii 


338     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  you've  had 
enough !  "  exclaimed  Bob,  in  mock  surprise. 

"  Yes.     I  think  I'm  satisfied." 

"  Oh,  no.  Let's  keep  it  up  all  day.  The 
other  fellows  have  gone  up  to  Eel  Bay,  and 
we  shan't  be  disturbed.  We  must  use  the 
present,  my  boy;  ^ never  put  off  till  the 
morrow  what  ought  to  be  done  to-day.'  " 

"  That's  all  well  enough  for  you  to  talk," 
retorted  Bert.  "I'll  keep  it  up,  too,  if 
you'll  just  put  on  that  bathing  suit  and 
prowl  around  on  the  bottom  of  the  river. 
I'll  hold  the  ropes  and  let  you  go  down,  so 
to  speak." 

"  I  can't  swim  well  enough  for  that. 
It's  easier  and  better  for  me  to  take  the 
direction  of  the  affair.  If  you  remember 
aright,  you'll  recall  that  you  were  the  one 
to  suggest  that  you  would  do  the  diving. 
It  wasn't  my  proposition." 

"Well,  I've  done  my  duty,  then.  The 
cannon  may  stay  where  they  are,  for  all  that 
I'll  do  to  get  them  up." 

"Don't  be  so  easily  discouraged.  Keep 
at  it,  keep  everlastingly  at  it,  that's  my 
motto  every  time." 

"  So  I  see,  when  it's  some  one  else  who's 
to  do  the  diving." 


1 


THE  CAMP-FIRE. 


339 


M 


The 
that 


"  We  can't  all  be  divers." 

"  Some  of  us  won't,  then  ;  and  that's  all 
there  is  to  be  said." 

"  Do  you  really  mean  to  say  that  you 
want  to  drop  it?" 

"I  do  that." 

"Just  think  of  all  that  French  gold." 

"  I  hav.'^  thought  of  it,"  and  "Bert's  teeth 
began  to  chatter  at  the  recollection. 

"And  you  honestly  want  to  drop  out  of 
it  and  lose  your  share  ?  " 

"  I  wouldn't  go  down  there  again  for  all 
the  gold  in  the  St.  Lawrence." 

"Well,  then,  Bert,"  said  Bob,  sharply, 
"  there's  just  one  thing  more  I  want  you  to 
do." 

"  What's  that  ? " 

"  I'm  not  very  fearful  that  you  will  refer 
to  your  diving  experiences ;  but  I  want  you 
to  keep  the  whole  thing  to  yourself  —  gold 
and  all." 

"  All  right.  I  won't  speak  of  it  to  a  liv- 
ing soul." 

"  Sure  ? " 

"  Sure." 

Bob  instantly  arose,  and  placing  a  finger 
in  his  mouth,  whistled  shrilly,  and  in  re- 
sponse to  his  hail  Jed  was  seen  approach- 


II 


lit 


I!  n 


ifpi  '"if^  ■  yi  V! 


iu«4f»,II^JIH.".H!J  iyK\  •:  Jl!  U.,kl!I'" 


km 


iiiiii 


340     UOUSE-nOAT  on  the  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

ing  with  the  skiff.  Both  boys  were  soon 
in  their  places  on  board,  and  for  the  re- 
mainder of  the  day  devoted  their  entire 
attention  to  the  fishing. 

They  were  well  satisfied  with  their  efforts 
when,  as  the  dusk  appeared,  they  slowly 
made  their  way  back  to  the  house-boat 
where  their  friends  had  already  arrived. 
The  coming  of  Bert  was  hailed  with  delight, 
but  in  response  to  the  eager  questions  of 
his  friend?  he  volunteered  no  explanation, 
except  to  say  that  he  had  not  been  far 
away,  and  that  Bob  and  Jed  had  taken  him 
on  board  their  skiff  very  soon  after  they 
had  departed  from  the  house-boat.  Per- 
haps all  were  too  wearied  with  the  sport  of 
the  day  to  -iiake  further  inquiries,  for  at 
all  events  the  matter  was  dropped,  and  no 
reference  was  again  made  to  it. 

For  nearly  two  weeks  the  house-boat  was 
kept  in  its  place,  and  daily  the  boys  de- 
parted in  different  directions  with  the  boat- 
men in  search  of  sport,  which  was  easily 
found.  Fish  were  plentiful,  and  the  sailing 
among  the  myriads  of  islands  never  lost  its 
zest.  Jock's  mother  had  long  since  come 
to  the  river,  and  a  part  of  almost  every 
day  was  spent  by  her  on  the  house-boat. 


TW   I 


T 


rUE  CAMP-FIRE. 


341 


no 


The  keen  enjoyment  of  the  company,  and 
the  enthusiasm  of  her  own  boy,  were  suffi- 
cient to  arouse  her  own  delight ;  and  for 
all,  the  summer  days  passed  all  too  quickly. 

Bert  had  not  once  referred  to  the  hidden 
cannon,  but  Bob  was  in  no  mind  to  aban- 
don the  attempt  to  discover  them.  Repeat- 
edly he  and  Jed  had  sought  the  place  where 
the  vision  of  the  cannon  on  the  bottom  of 
the  river  had  been  seen ;  but  despite  all 
their  efforts,  not  once  had  they  been  able  to 
obtain  a  glimpse  of  the  concealed  weapon. 
Whether  they  had  made  a  mistake  in  the 
locality,  or  they  had  been  deceived  in  the 
appearance  of  something  they  had  taken 
for  a  great  gun,  they  could  not  decide. 
There  was,  however,  no  abatement  of  their 
zeal,  for  both  were  determined  to  continue 
the  search  to  the  end. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  an  invitation 
came  to  the  boys  to  be  present  at  a  "  camp- 
fire"  which  was  to  take  place  at  ^^  The 
Rocks,"  Mr.  Clarke  having  volunteered  to 
send  his  yacht  to  convey  them  to  his  home, 
and  also  promising  that  it  would  return 
them  the  same  evening  to  the  house-boat. 
Not  just  understanding  what  a  "  camp-fire  " 
was,  their  uncertainty,  as  well  as  certain 


i  i 


!■■  !  : ! 


'i  I 


kJl 


Pi 

■AX  ••I'll 


ill;!  I 


rirl':" 


mi 


I!  #' 


if 

'bill 


j   i 


342     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE, 

other  things  which  were  by  no  means  "  un- 
certain," would  of  themselves  have  caused 
them  to  accept ;  and  when,  at  the  appointed 
time,  the  yacht  came  for  them,  they  were  as 
surprised  as  pleased  to  learn  that  both  boat- 
men were  also  included  in  the  invitation. 

On  their  way  a  stop  was  made  at  the 
place  where  Mrs.  Cope  was  staying,  and 
with  the  addition  to  the  little  party  the 
yacht  sped  on,  and  soon  all  were  safely 
landed  at  ^' The  Rocks." 

The  appearance  of  Mr.  Clarke's  summer 
home  was  as  unique  as  it  was  beautiful. 
Chinese  lanterns  were  hanging  from  the 
trees,  and  the  grounds  were  ablaze  with 
light.  It  was  a  merry  group  which  had 
already  assembled,  and  the  greetings  be- 
stowed upon  the  latest  arrivals  were  of  a 
character  that  certainly  made  them  feel 
that  they  were  welcome.  People  whose 
homes  were  on  neighboring  islands  had 
also  come,  and  altogether  the  sight  was 
one  that  would  have  aroused  the  interest 
and  pleasure  of  any  who  beheld  it. 

The  "  camp-fire  "  was  soon  discovered  to 
be  a  huge  fireplace,  enclosed  on  three  sides, 
Avhich  had  been  erected  in  a  sheltered  spot 
among  the  rocks.     In  this  buo-e  logs  had 


THE  CAMP-FIRE. 


343 


id  to 

sides, 

spot 

had 


been  piled,  and  when  at  last  the  company 
was  assembled  before  it,  and  the  fire  started, 
the  wildness  and  weirdness  of  the  spectacle 
increased.  The  flames  leaped  and  roared, 
the  flickering  lights  and  shadows  were  cast 
far  out  over  the  water,  and  the  sounds  of 
the  shouts  and  laughter  of  the  assembly 
rose  over  all. 

Here  corn  was  popped  and  "  fudge  "  was 
made,  and  various  other  indigestible  viands 
served,  to  which  all  did  ample  justice,  we 
may  be  sure.  Some  of  the  people  were 
seated  in  camp-chairs,  others  reclined  or 
sat  upon  the  surrounding  grass,  and  all  the 
time  the  fire  roared  and  the  smoke  was 
borne  far  out  over  the  river. 

After  a  time,  it  was  explained  that  a 
"story"  was  expected  from  every  one 
present.  This  was  an  aspect  of  the  case 
not  altogether  enjoyable,  in  prospect  at 
least,  and  several  declared  their  inability 
to  respond.  As  one  after  another  related 
an  experience  had  upon  tlie  river,  or  recited 
a  poem,  or  told  of  a  tradition  pertaining  to 
the  region,  it  was  discovered  that  there  was 
ample  material  for  the  tales  that  must  be 
told. 

"  Here's  Jed,"  said  Mr.  Clarke,  at  last. 


I 


!   I 


!  '%  I 


I 


srra 


kf  ;i 


m 


m 


i 


1 
pi' 

illlili  i 

' ,' J! 

i!B' 


M 

ia  ill 


pi 

11! 


iiililii 


I 


344    HOUSE-BOAT  on  the   ST.  LAWRENCE. 

"  He's  lived  all  his  life  upon  the  river,  and 
I'm  sure  he  knows  a  story  worth  telling." 

Jed,  in  no  wise  abashed  by  the  summons, 
at  once  related  the  story  of  the  vast  number 
of  suckers  his  boy  and  the  young  descendant 
of  *'  Sairy  Thorn "  had  recently  secured ; 
and  though  it  was  a  twice-told  tale  to  our 
boys,  they  laughed  as  heartily  as  they  had 
done  when  they  had  first  heard  it. 

Ethan  then  was  called  upon  to  add  his 
contribution.  At  first  the  worthy  boatman 
demurred,  but  at  last,  after  having  been 
urged  sufficiently,  and  evidently  not  mean- 
ing to  be  outdone  by  his  rival,  he  began ; 
and  as  the  interest  of  his  hearers  became 
more  manifest,  the  tale  itself  seemed  to 
increase  in  magnitude. 


NCE. 


vc,  and 
ing." 
imons, 
lumber 
endant 
cured ; 
to  our 
ey  had 

,dd  his 
)atman 
y  been 
mean- 
began  ; 
)ecame 
ned  to 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE    STORY   OF    PHIPS. 

"This  story,"  began  Ethan,  "is  about 
somethin'  that  happened  years  ago,  when  I 
was  a  boy ;  for  if  I  recollect  aright,  it  was  in 
'53." 

"1653,  Ethan?"  inquired  one  of  the 
boys,  mischievously. 

"  No,  1853.  The'  was  a  party  surveyin' 
the  Black  River.  There  was  a  lot  o'  men, 
an'  they  had  a  lot  o'  their  funny  things 
what  they  survey  with.  I  used  to  watch 
'em,  wonderin'  what  they  peeked  ihrimgli 
that  little  spy-glass  for,  an'  what  they  had 
ohahis  for,  too ;  for  I  couldn't  see  then,  any 
moKui  1  can  tiow,  wh}"  a  tape  measure  or 
a  rope  wouldn't  do  jest  ezactly  as  well. 
However,  they  had  all  the  fixin's,  an'  tliey 
wouldn't  more'n  get  across  the  river  in  one 
spot  afore  they'd  want  to  go  back  an'  try 
it  on  the  other  side.  Back  an'  forth,  an' 
up  an'  deown,  they  kept  at  it,  for  I  s'pose 

345 


■5  ! 


K.      i' 


H 


IB  >n 


J«     i  'til     I  f     a 


1^" 


H!'i 


hsiiMJi 


i! 


346     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

they  wanted  to  put  in  the  time  somehow  or 
other,  an'  besides,  it  made  work  for  some  o' 
the  men  hereabeouts.  'There  was  my  Uncle 
Nate  for  one ;  he  got  twelve  shillin'  a  day, 
six  days  in  the  week,  for  nigh  on  to  two 
months,  an'  everything  he  had  to  do  was 
jest  to  carry  a  chain  'long  with  the  fellows 
that  had  the  three-legged  arrangement  with 
a  little  spy-glass  on  top  of  it. 

"Well,  one  time  they  was  out  in  the 
river  on  a  raft.  They'd  wanted  to  cross 
over,  an',  as  luck  would  have  it,  there 
wasn't  a  boat  anywhere  near,  for  the  men 
with  the  skiffs  were  all  waiting  for  the 
party  abeout  a  mile  farther  up  stream.  So 
these  surveyin'  chaps  made  up  a  raft,  and 
tried  to  cross  over  to  the  other  bank  on 
that.  But  after  they  got  out  in  the  river 
they  found  that  they  couldn't  touch  bottom 
nowhere  with  the  pole  they  liad,  an'  to 
make  matters  worse,  they  discovered  pretty 
quick  that  tholr  old  raft  was  caught  in  the 
current,  an'  whether  they  liked  it  or  not, 
they  was  being  carried  deown  stream  like 
two-forty. 

"  Charlie  Brodhead  was  the  leader  o'  the 
gang,  an'  it  wasn't  long  afore  he  was  scared 
out  o'  his  seven  senses.     On  an'  on  went 


J 

4 

i 


THE  STORY  OF  PHIPS. 


347 


the  old  raft)  an'  of  course  the  men  went 
along  with  it ;  an'  purty  quick  they  could 
see  that  the  current  was  gettin'  swifter  an' 
swifter,  an'  then  they  began  to  hear  the 
roar  o'  the  falls  deovvn  below.  They  all 
knew  they  was  in  for  it,  then,  and  Brod- 
head,  he  told  'em  that  every  man  had  got 
to  swim  for  his  life,  for  the  raft  was  puttin' 
straight  for  tlie  falls,  an'  if  th  ^y  didn't  get 
ashore  somehow,  an'  purty  quick,  they'd  all 
go  over  the  rocks. 

"  Everybody  could  swim  except  one, 
though  some  o'  'em  wasn't  experts  at  it, 
I'm  thinkin'.  The  fellow  who  couldn't 
swim  a  stroke  was  a  young  Frenchman 
named  Pharoux,  though  the  name  isn't 
spelled  a  bit  as  it's  pronounced.  Beats  all 
heow  folks  pronounce  some  o'  the  names  in 
this  part  of  the  country.  But  Pharoux 
was  thinkin'  o'  somethin'  besides  the  way 
his  name  was  spelled,  an'  he  began  to  beg 
like  a  whitehead  for  the  men  not  to  leave 
him ;  though  I  don't  see  what  good  he 
thought  they  could  do  if  they  stayed,  ex- 
cept to  keep  him  from  bein'  lonesome-like. 

"  Finally,  most  o'  the  men  lit  out  and 
jumped  into  the  water.  Those  on  'em 
what  couldn't  swim  much  managed  to  get 


I 


l> 


i 


MV 


■V  '.m 


,|;:,, 


848    HOUSE-BOAT  on  the  st.  lawhenck. 

• 

hold  ()'  the  raft  again,  an'  su  kept  on  with 
Pharoux  and  Brodhead  ;  for  Charlie  Brod- 
head  had  made  up  his  mind  that  he'd  stand 
by  the  young  Frenchman,  come  what  might. 
All  this  time  the  raft  was  jest  a  goin'  it 
deown  the  stream,  an'  the  Frenchman  was 
a  screechin'  an'  beggin'  some  one  to  help 
him,  an'  the  men  was  wild  with  excite- 
ment, an'  those  o'  'em  whose  mouths 
wasn't  full  o'  water  was  a  shoutin'  and 
a  call  in'  like  mad. 

"  By  an'  by  the  raft  came  right  plump 
up  to  the  falls,  an'  then  seemin'  to  stop  an' 
deliberate  a  minute,  it  just  settled  deown 
an'  took  a  jump-like,  an'  pitched  straight 
over  for  the  eddies  an'  whirlin'  water  an' 
rocks  deown  below.  The  whole  thing  could 
be  seen  by  the  men  who'd  managed  to  get 
ashore,  an'  louder  than  the  roar  o'  the 
river  was  the  dyin'  screech  o'  some  o'  the 
poor  fellows  that  had  by  this  time  disap- 
peared from  sight. 

"  Those  who  had  managed  to  get  ashore 
rushed  areound  below  the  falls,  jest  as  quick 
as  they  could  get  there,  an'  pulled  Charlie 
Brodhead  out  of  a  eddv,  where  he  was 
whirlin'  round  like  a  top,  as  if  he  had 
somehow  got  a  goin'  an'  couldn't  stop — as  I 


The  WHOM',  thinc;  cori.i)  iiK  skkn  hv  thk  mkn  who'd  manackd 

TO    (iKT    AfSHOKK.       I'uf^O  .'UH. 


-vvi; 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


W. 


1.0  t^^ 


!.l 


1.25 


a  m   12.2 
»  Sit 

lit 


■  40 


liu 


2.0 


1.6 


Photographic 

Sciences 
Coiporaiion 


23  .VEST  NiAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y   14580 

(716)  87    4503 


^^.%s 


;"  ,.  ^"& 


7a 


V-,. 


Mf  'i 


U 


■- h 

it'    '- 


THE  STORY  OF  PHIPS. 


349 


guess  he  couldn't,  for  a  fact.  He  didn't 
know  anything  when  they  got  him  ashore, 
but  after  a  spell  he  came  areound  all  right 
again.  But  some  o'  the  white  men  an'  a 
few  o'  the  Indians  —  for  there  was  several 
Indians  in  the  party — was  drowned.  Jest 
drowned  dead.  They  searched  an'  searched 
for  the  young  Frenchman,  Pharoux,  but  it 
was  a  long  time  afore  they  found  him ;  an' 
then  it  was  on  an  island  away  deown  by  the 
mouth  o'  the  river.  But  he  was  dead,  too. 
They  put  up  a  marble  tablet  on  that  island, 
an  named  the  island  for  him;  but  it 
didn't  keep  him  from  goin'  over  Beach 
Hiver  Falls.  Lots  o'  times  folks  don't  seem 
to  wake  up  an'  do  anything  for  a  man  afore 
he's  gone  so  far  away  he  can't  come  back 
to  see  heow  much  his  friends  and  neighbors 
thought  o'  him.  Nobody  never  named  no 
island  for  me,  an'  I  don't  suppose  nobody 
ever  will." 

"  Did  you  ever  see  the  inscription  on  the 
tablet,  Ethan  ?  '  inquired  Mr.  Clarke. 

"  Yes." 

"  Do  you  recollect  what  it  is  ?" 

"  Yes,     It  says,  *  To  the  memory  of  Peter 
Pharoux  this  island  is  consecrated.'  " 

"  I  don't  suppose  we  shall  ever  realize 


i 


>ik 


If 


350     IlOU HE-BOAT  ON   THE  8T.  LAWRENCE. 

the  perils  and  hardships  of  the  men  who 
first  opened  up  this,  or  any  other  country," 
said  one  of  the  party. 

^'  Very  likely  not,"  responded  Mr.  Clarke  ; 
*'  but  it's  very  difficult  to  estimate  accurately 
or  justly  the  events  that  are  close  to  us. 
It's  like  holding  a  photograph  so  close  to 
our  eyes  that  we  can't  perceive  the  outlines. 
We  have  to  get  a  perspective  before  the 
men  and  their  deeds  can  be  seen  aright. 
Perhaps  it's  like  the  Chinese  pictures.  You 
know  they  all  seem  to  be  flat,  and  a  man 
and  a  tree  are  very  much  alike.  They  don't 
seem  ever  to  have  discovered  the  sense  of 
proportion  or  the  power  of  perspective ; 
and  I  fancy  it's  something  like  that  in  our 
views  of  the  men  and  events  of  our  times. 
After  they've  gone,  and  we  look  back  through 
the  years,  then  it  is  that  the  more  impor- 
tant parts  assume  their  just  relations.  We 
are  calling  many  a  man  a  hero  now,  who  in 
his  own  day  was  not  once  looked  upon  in 
that  light  by  those  who  knew  him  best. 
This  is  where  the  true  study  of  history 
comes  in.  It  helps  us  to  appreciate  and 
understand  the  present,  and  more  correctly 
to  estimate  the  men  and  deeds  of  the  past." 

"  We've  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  about 


SCE. 

\  who 
[itry, 


THE  STORY   OF  PHIPS. 


351 


>> 


larke ; 
rately 
to  us. 
lose  to 
tlines. 
re  the 
iright. 
You 
a  man 
y  don't 
3nse  of 
jctive ; 
in  our 
times, 
irough 
impor- 
We 
vho  in 
3on  in 
best, 
listory 
and 
rectly 
past." 
about 


many  of  the  deeds  of  Frontenac  and  his  men 
this  summer,"  suggested  Bert,  glancing  at 
Bob  as  he  spoke. 

"  That's  so  !  that's  so ! "  exclaimed  Miss 
Bessie.  "  Bob  must  tell  us  some  more ! 
It's  his  turn  now." 

Bob  certainly  had  no  desire  to  air  his 
information  before  the  assembly;  but  as  all 
joined  in  demanding  a  '^  story,"  he  was  com- 
pelled to  respond,  and  after  explaining 
that  it  was  only  a  ^'  chapter"  in  the  narra- 
tive, he  began :  — 

'*  I'd  just  reached  the  part  where  I  was 
to  tell  of  Phips  and  his  doings.  He  was, 
as  you  all  know,  made  the  leader  of  the 
New  England  forces,  at  least  on  the  sea,  in 
those  closing  years  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury. He  was  a  man  of  tremendous  energy, 
but  not  a  very  careful  or  wise  leader  ;  for  he 
did  not  make  careful  preparations  when  he 
set  forth  on  his  expeditions,  and,  as  far  as 
brains  are  concerned,  he  was  no  match  for 
Frontenac. 

*^  The  Iroquois,  English,  and  Dutch  were 
all  now  against  the  French  ;  and  though  they 
didn't  work  very  well  together,  the  common 
hatred  of  the  common  enemy  was  sufficiently 
strong  to  keep  them  from  quarrelling.    Bos- 


i 


=   I 


i'i ' 


fin  '  rr  I 

m 


i\^ 


352     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

ton  was  in  arms,  for  reports  of  what  they 
were  likely  to  suffer  were  afloat,  and  the 
English  liad  already  marched  from  Albany ; 
but  the  land  expedition  did  not  amount  to 
much,  for  Frontenac  had  made  the  very  most 
of  such  forces  as  he  had,  and  the  effect  was 
really  a  failure,  though  a  few  houses  were 
burned,  a  few  prisoners  taken,  and  a  few 
men  killed.  But  the  work  of  Phips  was  of 
another  kind.  He  had  organized  a  fleet, 
and  set  sail  for  Quebec.  He  had  had  re- 
ports that  the  place  could  be  taken  if  he 
struck  with  energy.  Something  besides  en- 
ergy was  needed,  however;  for  it  was  a 
very  different  mi  tter,  when  he  was  to  meet 
a  man  like  Frontenac,  from  what  it  was 
when  he  was  looking  for  gold  in  a  Span- 
ish galleon  sunk  off  the  shores  of  the  West 
Indies." 

"  Um,"  murmured  Bert. 

"What  did  you  say?"  demanded  Bob, 
sharply,  pausing  for  a  moment  at  the  inter- 
ruption. 

"Oh,  nothing,  nothing,'*  replied  Bert, 
hastily;  " I  agree  with  you  perfectly." 

"  Frontenac  had  already  received  word 
of  the  coming  of  Phips  and  his  fleet,  and 
he  didn't  let  the  grass  grow  under  his  feet, 


THE  STORY  OF  PHIPS. 


353 


as  he  began  to  prepare  Quebec  to  with- 
stand the  attack.  Of  course  the  place  was 
wonderfully  well  fortified  by  nature ;  but 
Frontenac  assembled  all  the  men  he  could 
muster,  dug  ditches,  made  embankments, 
which  he  flanked,  at  frequent  intervals,  by 
heavy  towers  of  stone.  Batteries  were 
provided ;  and  as  he  had  sent  word  far  and 
near  to  the  men  and  militia  to  come  to  the 
defencu  of  the  place,  only  two  days  had 
passed  before  he  had  about  twenty-seven 
hundred  men  within  the  defences  of  the  old 
town.  Men  had  been  stationed  at  intervals 
along  the  river,  to  keep  a  sharp  outlook  for 
the  coming  of  the  terrible  English  fleet. 

"At  last  one  morning,  before  it  was 
fairly  light,  they  discovered  the  approach- 
ing sails ;  and  when  the  sun  had  risen,  there 
was  the  entire  fleet  in  plain  sight.  There 
were  four  large  ships,  and  many  schooners 
and  brigs  of  no  inconsiderable  size,  and 
fishing  craft,  almost  too  numerous  to  men- 
tion. Altogether,  there  were  thirty-four 
vessels  in  the  approaching  fleet ;  and  Fron- 
tenac might  well  have  been  excited  and 
alarmed  over  his  prospects,  as  I  have  not 
the  slightest  doubt  he  was,  for  all  the 
vessels  seemed  to  be  alive  with  men,  and 

2a 


VI- 


354     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

the  English,  whatever  their  faults,  in  the 
New  World  or  in  the  Old,  are  not  cowards. 

"  But  Phips  had  made  a  great  many 
mistakes,  and  was  soon  to  make  many 
more.  His  vessels  were  not  well  provi- 
sioned, the  winds  had  been  against  him,  and 
he  had  stopped  to  hold  many  a  parley  with 
his  fellow-officers,  instead  of  going  ahead 
and  leading  his  own  men.  He  had  captured 
two  or  three  French  vessels  on  his  way, 
and  among  his  prisoners  he  found  some 
people  of  standing  and  influence.  From 
them  he  learned  that  Quebec  could  not 
really  withstand  either  a  long  siege  or  a 
sharp,  hard  attack,  which  was  true  then ; 
but  Frontenac  was  not  one  to  sit  down 
and  idly  repine,  and  had  already  been 
doing  wonderful  things,  to  place  the  city 
he  was  to  defend  in  a  much  better  condi- 
tion. 

"Phips  finally  came  to  anchor  near 
Quebec,  and  the  first  thing  he  did  was  to 
send  one  of  his  inferior  officers,  with  a  flag 
of  truce,  in  a  boat  to  the  shore.  Four  of 
the  French  canoes  came  out  to  meet  it,  and 
when  the  Frenchmen  on  board  heard  that 
he  had  a  message  from  Phips  for  Fron- 
tenac, they  received  him  into  one  of  their 


mcE. 


THE  STORY  OF  PHIP8. 


355 


in  the 

wards. 

many 

many 

provi- 

m,  and 

y  with 

ahead 

ptured 

s  way, 

i  some 

From 

Id    not 

3  or   a 

then ; 

down 

been 

e  city 

condi- 

near 

'as  to 

I  a  flag 

)ur  of 

It,  and 

that 
Fron- 
their 


canoes,  and  took  him  to  the  dock.  There 
they  blindfolded  him,  and  two  men  were  to 
lead  him  to  the  governor. 

"  The  college  boys  sing,  that  Jordan  is  a 
hard  road  to  travel ;  but  I  imagine  it  is 
smooth  as  ice  compared  with  what  that 
blindfolded  Englishman  found  the  streets 
of  Quebec  that  day.  They  led  him  up 
and  down,  and  out  and  in,  and  back  and 
forth ;  they  made  him  climb  over  stones 
and  walls  ;  they  let  him  bump  his  head  and 
stumble  over  logs,  and  all  the  time  there 
was  a  great  crowd  around  him,  though  of 
course  he  couldn't  see  it,  shouting,  laugh- 
ing, jeering,  taunting,  and  declaring  it  was 
the  best  game  of  *  blind-man's  buff '  they 
ever  had  had. 

"  At  last  they  took  him  into  the  room 
where  Frontenac  was  waiting  for  him,  and 
tore  the  bandage  from  his  eyes.  The  poor 
Englishman  might  well  have  been  puzzled, 
as  indeed  he  was,  by  what  he  saw.  Fron- 
tenac, who  was  himself  a  very  striking 
man  in  his  appearance,  was  surrounded  by 
many  of  his  leading  officers  and  men,  and 
all  were  dressed  as  if  they  were  about  to  be 
presented  to  King  Louis  himself.  Silks, 
and  velvets,  and  ribbons,  powdered  wigs. 


f 


;     I 


ilii  i 


I ' 


ill 


lis 


it  !  ' 


i 


tit 


■'I 
■1 


']  i- 


m  's-fi 


!  in 


ill 


.,;  .ii!!;i 


ti  'n^^ 


856     UOUSK-IiOAT  ON   THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

gold  and  silver  lace,  swords  and  military 
dress  were  all  there ;  and  when  Frontenac 
and  the  others  looked  at  the  poor  fellow,  all 
bruised  and  bleeding,  I  don't  believe  he 
thought  the  English  were  going  to  scare 
the  Frenchman  as  badly  as  Phips  had 
prophesied. 

^'  At  last  the  messenger  managed  to  get  his 
breath,  and  gave  to  Frontenac  the  letter 
Phips  had  sent.  It  was  a  blustering  little 
note,  demanding  the  surrender  of  the  town  at 
once,  and  declaring  that,  if  an  answer  was 
not  given  within  an  hour,  dire  events 
would  immediately  follow. 

"When  the  letter  had  been  read,  the 
messenger  pulled  his  watch  out  of  his 
pocket,  and  called  Frontenac's  attention  to 
the  time  of  day.  The  governor  pretended 
not  to  see  it,  and  coolly  and  scornfully 
declared  he  would  not  keep  the  man  wait- 
ing even  for  the  one  short  hour,  but  that  he 
could  go  back  to  Phips  and  tell  him  he 
wasn't  afraid  of  him  and  all  England,  new 
or  old. 

''  This  wasn't  exactly  the  reply  that  had 
been  expected ;  but  the  astonished  mes- 
senger requested  Frontenac  to  put  his 
reply    in    writing.       This    the    governor 


RENCE. 

military 
rontenac 
How,  all 
lieve  he 
to  scare 
ips   had 

3  get  his 
e  letter 
ig  little 
town  at 
kver  was 
events 


TUE  STOIiV  OF  PIIIP8. 


357 


refused  to  do,  and  declared  lie  preferred  a 
reply  hy  the  mouth  of  the  cannon. 

''  And  then  the  messenger  was  blind- 
tolded  agam,  led  back  to  the  boats,  and  so 
returned  to  his  leader,  well  aware  that  it 
was  not  the  end,  but  only  the  beginniuLr  of 
trouble. 


ad,  the 
of  his 
ition  to 
etended 
>rnfully 
n  wait- 
that  he 
lini  he 
id,  new 


at  had 
I  mes- 
ut  his 
vernor 


rr 


I  jiJM'i 


1 1 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE   END   OF   FRONTENAC. 

"  It  seems  to  be  a  very  easy  matter," 
continued  Bob,  "  to  find  the  weaknesses  in 
a  man  who  did  not  succeed,  and  to  forget 
all  the  mistakes  of  a  man  who  has  been 
successful.  So  looking  back  now  upon 
Phips,  it  doesn't  seem  to  require  any  very 
great  ability  to  see  where  he  might  have 
done  much  better  than  he  did.  Of  course 
I  can't  give  you  all  the  points,  for  all  I'm 
fitted  for  is  to  tell  the  story  as  I've  found 
it  in  the  histories. 

"Phips  had  no  lack  of  personal  bravery, — 
no  one  supposes  that,  —  but  he  certainly 
was  not  a  success  as  the  leader  of  men  in  an 
expedition  such  as  that  he  had  charge  of  in 
1690.  After  he  received  the  disappointing 
reply  from  Frontenac,  even  then  he  might 
have  done  something  if  he  had  gone  ahead 
and  acted  promptly  ;  but  he  called  another 
council  of  his  fellow-officers,  and  where  there 

868 


THE  KNl)   OF  FRONTENAC. 


359 


latter," 
esses  in 
>  forget 
IS  been 
V  upon 
ny  very 
lit  have 


course 
all  I'm 
e  found 


^6' 

ahead 
mother 
re  there 


were  rriany  men,  of  course  there  were  many 
mind  J. 

"At  last  they  agreed  upon  a  plan  of 
attack.  The  militia  were  to  be  landed  just 
a  little  way  below  Quebec,  cross  the  i .  ^er 
by  a  ford,  and  fall  upon  the  rear  of  the 
town.  Some  of  the  smaller  vessels  were  to 
help  by  holding  back  the  Frenchmen  with 
the  fire  of  their  guns,  and  then  were  to  land 
supplies  for  the  soldiers.  When  all  these 
things  had  been  pioperly  attended  to,  Phips 
with  the  larger  boats  was  to  use  his  cannon 
on  the  front  of  the  town,  and  under  the 
cover  of  his  guns  land  two  hundred  more 
men.  He  decided  upon  this  plan  against 
the  honest  advice  of  some  of  his  prisoners, 
who  suggested  the  use  of  an  approach 
which  Wolfe  afterward  tried  with  wonder- 
ful success. 

"  But  even  while  they  were  debating  and 
talking  over  the  scheme,  the  time  for  using 
it  was  gone.  Still  Phips  delayed,  and  kept 
on  delaying,  until  a  lot  of  the  very  best  of 
the  French  forces  had  come  to  the  aid  of 
Frontenac.  When  at  last  Phips  was  ready 
to  act,  his  men  spent  an  hour  in  singing 
and  shouting  '  God  save  King  William,'  and 
kept  their  fifes  and  drums  going  as  if  they 


ii, 


.;.  i' 


360     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST,   LAWRENCE. 

expected  the  walls  of  Quebec  were  going 
to  fall  by  the  noise  they  could  make. 

"  After  the  first  part  of  the  plan  was  put 
into  execution,  Phips  became  so  eager  that 
he  was  not  willing  to  wait  until  he  received 
word  of  the  success  of  his  men,  but  moved 
up  nearer  the  town.  Just  before  he  opened 
the  cannonade,  the  French  guns  began  at 
him.  They  kept  it  up ;  buu  the  English 
didn't  do  more  than  make  a  huge  din,  and 
raise  a  cloud  of  smoke.  The  aim  of  the 
gunners  was  poor,  the  guns  were  light,  and 
practically  they  didn't  do  any  damage  at 
all  to  the  old  town. 

*'  They  stopped  when  darkness  fell,  but 
before  it  was  fairly  light  on  the  following 
morning  they  were  at  it  again,  the  French 
leading  oK  once  more.  The  English  vessels 
now  beo-an  to  suffer  terriblv,  and  one  after 
another  dropped  out  of  the  fight.  Almost 
all  their  ammunition  was  gone,  and  they 
apparently  hadn't  been  able  to  hit  anything 
but  the  rocks,  and  they  weren't  always 
sure  of  them. 

"  The  leader  of  the  lard  force  hadn't 
done  any  better,  and  at  last  he  left  his  men, 
while  he  himself  went  back  to  talk  it  over 
with  Phips.     While  he  was  gone  his  men 


ENCE, 


THE  END  OF  FUONTENAC. 


361 


i  going 

• 

vas  put 
er  that 
eceived 
moved 
opened 
5gan  at 
English 
lin,  and 
of  the 
ht,  and 
lage  at 

3ll,  but 
11  owing 
French 
vessels 
e  after 
A.lmost 
1  they 
ything 
always 

hadn't 
s  men, 
it  over 
s  men 


started  on  without  him,  and  to  make  a 
long  story  short,  they  were  soundly  beaten, 
though  they  fought  hard,  as  Englishmen 
always  do.  Of  course  Quebec  felt  relieved, 
especially  when  Phips  took  all  his  men 
back  on  board  his  ships  and  withdrew  be- 
hind the  island  of  Orleans.  Very  likely 
he'd  have  gone  farther,  but  his  fleet  was  in 
such  a  condition  that  he  couldn't  manage 
it.  They  went  to  work  to  try  to  repair  the 
damage,  Phips  himself  working  with  the 
men ;  for  you  see  he'd  been  a  carpenter 
once  upon  a  time,  and  I  fancy  was  more  of 
a  success  as  a  hewer  of  wood  than  he  was 
as  admiral  of  a  fleet. 

"  The  French  now  knew  that  Phips  had 
had  enough ;  but  as  three  vessels  were  com- 
ing from  France  with  supplies  and  money 
on  board,  they  were  very  much  afraid  that 
the  Englishmen  would  meet  and  capture 
them  all.  So  some  men  went  down  the 
river  right  past  the  English  boats  in  the 
darkness  and  got  word  to  the  ships,  which 
hid  till  Phips  passed  them ;  but  when  the 
poor  fellow  at  last  returned  to  Boston,  that 
town  was  as  gloomy  as  Frontenac  and  Que- 
bec were  hilarious.  Frontenac  had  again 
shown  that  he  was  the  best  man  on  the 


I    ; 


i 


f'dh 


^'m 


10'! 


862     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

continent,  and  for  a  time  even  his  enemies 
were  bound  to  acknowledge  that  much,  too. 

"  Well,  the  troubles  were  not  ended,  by 
any  manner  of  means.  I  haven't  the  time 
nor  you  the  patience  to  go  into  all  the 
details  of  the  years  that  followed.  Every- 
body, Indians  and  all,  were  soon  stirring 
again,  and  some  terrible  things  happened  in 
the  region  of  Maine  and  New  Brunswick. 
Theie  were  fearful  raids  by  the  red  men, 
and  brave  deeds  performed  b}^  the  English 
settlers.  The  Mohawks  joined  in  the  fray ; 
they  were  against  Frontenac  and  the  French, 
you  know,  but  in  the  end  it  seemed  as  if 
everything  had  played  into  the  hands  of  the 
bold  leader  of  the  French. 

''  Of  course  he  had  his  troubles,  and  lots 
of  them.  The  Jesuits  were  verj^  jealous  of 
his  increased  power ;  but  they  had  to  be 
very  sly,  for  Frontenac  was  not  in  a  position 
where  he  could  be  very  easily  disturbed. 
He'd  been  successful,  and  that  was  suffi- 
cient to  tie  the  people  to  him.  The  war 
continued  in  Acadia  and  Newfoundland, 
sometimes  one  side  victorious,  and  some- 
times the  other ;  but  the  balance  all  the 
while  seemed  to  be  in  favor  of  Frontenac. 

"It  had  come  to   pass  that  Frontenac 


THE  END  OF  FRONTENAC. 


3t)3 


believed  he  had  held  back  the  English,  and 
that  his  chief  problem  now  lay  with  the 
Indians  and  the  Iroquois.  They,  too,  began 
to  talk  some  as  if  they  didn't  want  to  fight 
the  great  Frenchman  much  longer ;  but  to 
the  propositions  that  the  governor  made  they 
were  not  quite  ready  to  listen.  And  no  one 
can  blame  them,  for  his  invitations,  though 
they  were  exceedingly  cordial,  were  very 
much  after  '  the  spider  and  the  fly '  order. 
To  make  matters  still  worse,  the  western 
Indians  began  to  be  troublesome  once  more, 
and  seemed  to  be  in  great  fear  of  the 
Iroquois.  As  the  fur  trade  was  largely 
dependent  upon  the  continued  loyalty  of 
these  same  western  Indians,  Frontenac 
made  up  his  mind  that  he  must  do  some- 
thing more  than  just  Halk'  to  the  terrible  Iro- 
quois. And  something  was  soon  done,  too. 
"The  fort  over  here  at  Kingston  — 
Fort  Frontenac  —  had  been  destroyed  some 
years  before  this  time,  and  never  had  been 
rebuilt.  The  Jesuits  didn't  want  to  have 
it  restored  ;  for  they  knew  well  enough,  if  it 
was,  that  it  would  put  a  great  weapon  in 
the  hands  of  Frontenac,  whom  they  hated 
with  a  perfect  hatred,  and  feared  as  much  as 
they  hated.    You  see,  he'd  have  had  the  full 


'\  '■ 


mi 


l|i 


Bli 


(■ill    ! 


864     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

control  of  the  fur  trade,  if  that  strong  fort 
was  in  his  hands,  for  he  could,  and  doubt- 
less would,  make  all  the  traders  stop  there 
on  their  way  from  the  lakes  ;  and  the  trades 
that  would  then  be  made  would  not  help  to 
make  the  Jesuits  any  richer  nor  Frontenac 
any  poorer. 

^'  So  when  they  found  out  what  the  gov- 
ernor was  planning  to  do  with  the  old  fort, 
they  sent  a  protest  to  Louis,  so  strong  that 
the  king  could  not  do  otherwise  than  com- 
mand Frontenac  not  to  rebuild.  But  he  had 
done  that  already,  before  the  word  came 
from  the  king,  and  I  doubt  not  intended  to 
do  it  all  the  time,  before  he  could  be  stopped. 
That's  a  way  some  military  and  naval 
commanders  have,  of  going  ahead  without 
orders,  and  explaining  things  afterward. 
At  all  events,  that's  just  what  Frontenac 
did ;  and  then  he  mustered  the  troops, 
friendly  Indians  and  militia,  and  set  forth 
to  inflict  such  a  blow  upon  the  Onondagas 
—  whom  he  thought  to  be  the  most  power- 
ful or  influential  of  the  Iroquois — that 
never  again  would  he  have  trouble  from 
them. 

"He  had  altogether  in  his  force  about 
twenty-two  hundred  men.     A  lot  of  Indians 


u\  n- 


m 


TJIE  END  OF  FRONT  EN  AC. 


365 


in  their  canoes  moved  in  advance,  then 
followed  bateaux  loaded  with  soldiers,  and 
others  with  cannon,  and  then  more  soldiers, 
and  as  a  rear  guard  came  more  of  the  regulars 
and  Indians.  It  was  midsummer,  and  this 
old  river  must  have  presented  a  wonderful 
sight,  almost  covered  as  it  was  with  this 
fleet.  They  didn't  stop  very  much  on  the  way, 
and  as  it  was  a  time  of  the  year  when  they 
hadn't  much  to  fear  from  the  weather,  they 
made  good  time.  Of  course  they  had  trouble 
dragging  the  heavy  bateaux  up  the  rapids, 
but  they  didn't  seem  to  mind  little  things 
like  that,  and  kept  straight  on  their  way. 

"  Frontenac  at  this  time  was  seventy- 
seven  years  old,  and  so  feeble  in  body 
that  when  his  troops  marched  across  the 
country  he  had  to  be  carried  part  of  the 
way  in  a  big  arm-chair ;  but  the  men  were 
devoted  to  him,  and  the  friendly  Indians 
the  most  enthusiastic  of  all. 

"  When  at  last  they  came  near  to  the 
village  of  the  Onondagas,  they  discovered 
that  not  an  enemy  was  there.  There  were 
great  corn-fields  stretching  out  on  every 
side,  and  for  two  days  the  disappointed 
Frenchmen,  as  they  couldn't  find  the  men 
they  wanted  to   kill,  spent  their  time  in 


ii', 


I 


lil 


f 


HI 


J  1 


i* 


'in 


I'h 


II 


I:. 


■  i  sriJ- 


I 


m '  I 


m 


366     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 

cutting  down  and  burning  the  corn.  They 
sent  a  detachment  to  the  village  of  the 
Oneidas,  but  as  that  tribe  professed  to  be 
friendly,  there  wasn't  much  satisfaction  in 
that.  Some  v/anted  to  go  on  and  burn  the 
leading  village  of  the  Cayugas,  but  as 
Frontenac  thought  that  was  useless,  and 
as  the  Onondagas  wouldn't  come  back 
to  be  shot,  he  decided  that  the  best  thing 
to  be  done  was  to  go  back  to  Montreal. 
He  had  made  a  great  demonstration,  had 
frightened  the  hostile  Indians,  and  destroyed 
their  supplies  for  the  coming  winter;  but 
as  far  as  punishing  the  Onondagas  them- 
selves, he  hadn't  done  very  much,  though 
he  wrote  a  long  and  very  enthusiastic  letter 
to  King  Louis,  in  which  he  gave  a  very 
glowing  account  of  the  great  victory  he  had 
won,  and  incidentally  referred  to  the  fact 
that  he  would  not  be  averse  to  receiving 
some  substantial  tokens  of  the  monarch's 
favor  as  the  reward  of  his  bravery. 

"  It  was  not  all  idle  talk,  either ;  for  the 
Onondagas  had,  indeed,  been  very  much 
impressed  by  what  he  had  done.  They 
sent  some  of  their  greatest  sachems  to 
Montreal,  to  confer  with  Frontenac;  but 
while   their    negotiations   were   going   on, 


THE  END   OF  FRONTENAC. 


367 


word  came  of  the  peace  in  Europe,  and  as 
one  historian  has  said,  *  the  scratch  of  a 
pen  at  Ryswick  ended  the  conflict  in  Amer- 
ica, at  least  as  far  as  concerned  the  civilized 
combatants.'  How  long,  and  how  deep 
and  lasting  that  so-called  peace  was,  you 
all  know. 

'*  Poor  old  Frontenac  found,  however, 
that  he  was  having  anything  but  a  peace- 
ful time.  His  old  enemies,  the  Jesuits, 
were  busy  again,  and  doing  their  best  to 
undermine  his  peace  and  power. 

"  It  was  in  November,  1698,  after  the  last 
ship  had  sailed  for  France,  and  New  France 
would  be  locked  in  snow  and  ice  for  a  half 
year,  that  Frontenac  gave  up  the  struggle 
and  laid  down  the  burden  of  life.  On  the 
twenty-eighth  of  that  month,  after  a  brief 
illness,  the  brave  old  man  died.  He  was 
greatly  beloved  by  the  common  people, 
the  best  man  to  deal  with  the  Indians  the 
French  ever  had  in  this  continent,  a  fearless 
soldier,  a  very  warm  friend  to  whomsoever 
he  was  a  friend,  and  a  bitter  enemy  of  those 
he  hated.  He  was  certainly  a  magnificent 
leader,  and  one  of  the  ablest  men  in  all  the 
colonial  history  of  the  New  World.  Some 
of   his  enemies,  however,   were   so  bitter 


\ 


■  n  III 


}' 


-  <  t 


m  1 1 


368     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.    LAWRENCE. 

against  him  that  even  after  he  was  dead 
and  gone  they  continued  to  write  and  say 
scurrilous  things  about  him,  and  seemed 
never  able  to  forgive  him.  Perhaps  one 
cause  was  that  at  Frontenac's  own  request 
his  body  was  buried  in  the  church  of  the 
Recollets,  and  not  in  the  cathedral  where 
the  Jesuits  were  in  charge,  and  that  was  an 
affront  they  could  never  ignore. 

"  1  didn't  mean  to  talk  so  long,"  said 
Bob,  apologetically,  as  his  story  ended; 
"  but  when  I  get  to  talking  of  the  old  hero 
—  why,  it  almost  seems  to  me  that  I  can 
see  him  myself,  with  his  fleet  on  the  river, 
or  leading  his  men  against  his  enemies. 
I  don't  wonder  that  so  many  hotels  and 
islands  and  places  in  the  St.  Lawrence  are 
named  for  him.  The  wonder  is  there  aren't 
more." 

A  round  of  hand  clapping  greeted  Bob, 
and  for  a  time  the  conversation  turned 
upon  the  exploits  of  the  old  warrior,  who 
in  his  own  day  had  made  friends  and  ene- 
mies in  almost  equal  proportions. 

"It's  wonderful  the  way  some  men's 
deeds  live  after  them,"  said  Miss  Bessie. 
"I  wonder  what  Frontenac  would  have 
thought  if  he  could  have  looked  ahead  and 


TUE  END  OF  FRONTENAC. 


369 


Bob, 
urned 
who 
ene- 


seen  this  party,  two  hundred  years  after  his 
death,  listening  to  the  story  of  his  deeds." 

"  He'd  have  felt  '  proud  to  know  you,'  " 
said  Bert,  as  he  rose  from  the  ground  on 
which  he  had  been  seated.  "  You  know 
what  Alexander  said  when  he  stood  by  the 
tomb  of  Achilles,  don't  you?" 

"  If  we  don't,  it  isn  t  from  any  fault  of 
yours,"  laughed  Bob.  "  Jock,  isn't  it  time 
we  were  starting  for  the  house-boat  ? " 

"  It  is  that ! "  replied  Jock ;  and  soon 
afterward,  with  a  merry  party  of  young 
people  on  board,  for  the  young  ladies  were 
to  accompany  Mr.  Clarke  and  the  boys, 
and  enjoy  the  moonlight  sail  among  the 
islands,  the  yacht  was  ploughing  its  way 
swiftly  through  the  silent  waters  of  the 
great  river. 


2b 


ii^i  ;li 


f  .1 


\*iii 


■M 


I 


I ' 


111; 


lI'N 


-f,t 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


A   PLOT. 


As  the  yacht  sped  on  in  the  moonlight, 
moving  almost  as  silently  as  the  silent 
shadows  about  it,  the  full  beauty  of  the 
wonderful  region  seemed  more  impressive 
than  ever  it  had  been.  Music  from  some 
hotel,  or  the  singing  of  some  party  out  for 
an  evening  sail,  came  floating  across  the 
water;  and  softened  as  the  notes  were  by 
distance,  and  the  weirdness  increased  by 
the  inability  to  see  the  singers,  the  effect 
was  almost  like  that  of  moving  among  the 
spirits  with  which  the  Indians  had  declared 
the  islands  were  peopled. 

Nor  were  the  young  people  on  board  the 
yacht  merely  silent  listeners  to  the  sounds, 
for  their  own  songs  frequently  were  heard, 
and  their  light-hearted  laughter  awoke  the 
echoes  of  many  a  rocky  and  uninhabited 
island  they  passed  in  their  course. 

Bert  and  Miss  Bessie  were  seated  together 

370 


A  PLOT. 


371 


in  the  bow  of  the  yacht,  and  it  became  evi- 
dent to  the  other  members  of  the  party 
that  the  young  lady  was  listening  to  some 
words  that  greatly  pleased  her.  Bert  would 
be  speaking  in  low  tones  for  a  time,  and 
then  the  delight  of  Miss  Bessie  would  find 
vent  in  a  laugh  which  for  a  moment  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  all  on  board.  What 
it  was  that  Bert  was  saying  no  one,  of  course, 
knew;  but  if  Bob  could  have  heard  his  words, 
perhaps  his  peace  of  mind  might  have  been 
destroyed,  for  it  was  nothing  less  than  a 
plot  the  two  young  people  were  concocting, 
and  as  it  directly  concerned  Bob  himself, 
that  young  gentleman  might  naturally  have 
been  supposed  to  be  greatly  interested.  But 
as  it  was,  he  remained  in  ignorance  of  the 
scheme,  and  days  elapsed  before  he  learned 
the  part  he  was  to  play  ;  and  his  awakening, 
when  it  came,  was  as  sharp  as  his  chagrin 
was  keen. 

The  boys  at  last  were  landed  at  their 
house-boat,  which  they  found  undisturbed, 
the  good  nights  were  spoken,  and  the  grace- 
ful little  yacht  soon  disappeared  among  the 
shadows ;  and  not  long  afterward  silence 
rested  over  all. 

In  the  days  that  followed,  a  continual 


i 

!!    ' 

f 

'1 

,  . 

!- 

i 

r 

'  i 

k 

i 

i 

' 

372     UOUSK-hOAT  ON    THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

variety  was  found  in  the  sports  and  enjoy- 
ments of  our  boys.  There  was  golf  on  the 
links  of  one  of  the  larger  islands,  excursions 
to  points  of  interest  on  both  sides  of  the 
great  river;  there  was  a  day  spent  with 
friends  who  belonged  to  the  St.  Lawrence 
yacht  club,  and  the  bright  red  sails  of  the 
graceful  boats  presented  a  beautiful  and 
somewhat  startling  sight  as  they  swept 
swiftly  over  the  water ;  there  was  bowling 
on  the  days  when  rain  prevented  out-door 
sports,  and  almost  every  week  the  picnic 
and  cruise  to  which  Mr.  Clarke  and  the 
young  people  of  his  household  invited  our 
boys.  The  fishing  was  unusually  excellent, 
and  the  catches  the  boys  made  were  so 
numerous  and  great  as  almost  to  take  away 
the  pride  of  the  young  fishermen  in  their 
success. 

Meanwhile  the  house-boat  was  moved 
from  place  to  place,  and  every  new  anchoring 
ground  was  declared  by  the  enthusiastic 
young  occupants  of  the  floating  domicile  to 
be  better  than  the  others.  The  only  one  to 
object  to  the  frequent  change  was  Bob  ;  but 
his  protests  were  overruled  by  his  comrades, 
who  declared  that  if  his  wish  had  been  fol- 
lowed the  house-boat  would  have  remained 


A   PLOT, 


873 


in  one  spot  all  summer.  Whatever  Bob's 
objections  may  have  been,  he  was  too  wise 
to  emphasize  them  over  much ;  but  still  he 
managed  several  times  to  go  with  Jed  to 
the  region  where  that  one  glimpse  of  a 
sunken  cannon  had  been  obtained.  With 
all  their  efforts,  however,  the  old  gun  had 
not  been  seen  again.  Jed  began  to  Lei 
somewhat  discouraged,  and  declared  that 
the  search  would  never  amount  to  anything 
now,  and  that  mortgage  on  his  little  home 
must  remain  as  a  terrible  incubus  for  many 
weary  days. 

Bob  had  endeavored  to  cheer  up  the 
boatman  ;  but  though  he  was  in  no  wise 
minded  to  give  over  the  search,  even  he 
began  to  lose  hope.  Many  hours  they  had 
spent  close  to  the  shore  of  the  familiar 
island,  but  whether  they  had  made  a  mis- 
take in  marking  the  exact  location,  or  the 
condition  of  the  water  varied,  so  that  they 
were  not  able  to  see  clearly  to  the  bottom 
of  the  river,  he  did  not  know.  At  all 
events,  the  longed-for  sight  was  not  seen. 

One  day  Bert  had  taken  a  skiff  and  mis- 
chievously followed  Bob  and  Jed,  keeping 
well  out  of  sight,  we  may  be  sure.  He  had 
landed  on  the  side  of  the  island  opposite  to 


■Pli 

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3^1111;. 

Hiil 

374     HOUSEBOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

that  where  the  searchers  were  busied,  and 
creeping  stealthily  through  the  brush,  had 
gained  a  point  where,  unobserved  himself, 
he  nevertheless  could  plainly  behold  all  the 
movements  of  his  friends.  Grimly  he  had 
watched  them  as  they  rowed  back  and  forth, 
both  peering  over  into  the  water,  and  striv- 
ing to  see  that  which  it  was  only  too  evident 
still  remained  unseen.  Perhaps  if  Bob  had 
seen  the  face  of  his  friend,  he  might  have 
concluded  that  the  lesson  he  had  given  him 
a  few  weeks  before  had  not  been  as  well 
received,  after  all,  as  ^  "»  had  expected  it 
to  be. 

So  matters  remained  until  August  was 
almost  gone,  and  still  the  shotted  cannon 
was  as  much  of  a  mystery  as  ever  it  had 
been.  It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  Bob 
had  gone  to  the  spot  every  day,  for  that 
was  by  no  means  true.  The  most  he  had 
done  was  to  arrange  it  so  that  he  was  as- 
signed to  Jed's  boat  when  they  set  forth  on 
their  daily  expeditions  from  the  house-boat, 
and  going  to  or  coming  from  the  fishing 
grounds,  somehow  this  one  place  was  rowed 
over.  Occasionally,  when  it  had  been  pos- 
sible to  avoid  the  suspicions  of  his  compan- 
ions, he  and  Jed  had  gone  there  for  a  few 


A  PLOT. 


375 


was 
^nnou 
had 
Bob 
that 
had 


hours  alone,  and  their  investigations  were 
made  without  the  fear  of  discovery.  But,  as 
we  have  said,  thus  far  all  their  efforts  had 
been  unrewarded,  and  success  seemed  to  be 
as  far  distant  as  it  had  been  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  summer. 

It  was  in  this  closing  week  in  August 
that  another  one  of  the  frequent  picnics 
had  been  arranged,  and  the  boys  were  to 
sail  over  to  the  "  The  Rocks  "  in  the  early 
morning,  and  meet  the  party  there  which 
was  to  embark  on  Mr.  Clarke's  yacht. 
There  had  been  frequent  conferences  be- 
tween Bert  and  Miss  Bessie,  and  how  much 
they  had  had  to  do  with  the  selection  of 
the  island  where  dinner  was  to  be  had  that 
day,  perhaps  they  only  could  have  explained. 
At  all  events,  the  very  island  off  whose 
shore  Bert  believed  Bob  thought  the  sunken 
cannon  was  resting  was  the  one  selected, 
though  the  landing-place  was  on  the  oppo- 
site side.  Before  the  yacht  started  from 
the  dock.  Miss  Bessie  beckoned  to  Bert, 
and  as  the  eager  young  fellow  joined  her 
in  the  dining  room  of  the  cottage,  she  took 
from  the  sideboard  a  mysterious  package, 
about  the  size  of  a  peck  measure,  and,  hold- 
ing it  up  in  her  hands,  said :  — 


•M 


.1  ! 


376  HOUSE- no  AT  on  the  st.  la  whence. 

"  I  liave  it  at  last,  though  you'd  never 
believe  all  the  trouble  I've  had  to  get  it,  if 
I  were  to  tell  you." 

"It's  all  right,  anyway,  as  nng  as  you 
have  it,"  responded  Bert,  eagerly.  "  Where 
did  you  get  it  ?  " 

"  Part  of  it  at  Clayton,  and  a  part  at 
Alexandria  Bay.  I've  had  to  pick  it  up  by 
degrees.  One  of  the  girls  found  it  one  day, 
and  she  almost  spoiled  the  whole  thing  by 
asking  me  at  the  dinner-table  what  I  was 
going  to  do  with  all  those  funny  little  bits 
I  had." 

"  You  didn't  tell  her,  did  you  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  should  say  I  didn't !  " 

"  That's  good !  Have  you  scoured  them 
all  up  ? " 

"  Yes ;  they  shine  almost  like  silver  —  or 
gold."  And  Miss  Bessie  laughed  lightly  as 
she  spoke. 

"  I'll  get  even  with  Bob  now,"  said  Bert, 
warmly.  "  He  thought  he'd  teach  me  a 
lesson,  but  he'll  find  out  that's  a  game  two 
can  play  at.  Just  because  he's  been  a  peda- 
gogue this  spring  he  thinks  he  can  keep 
up  his  schoolmaster  airs,  and  teach  all 
creation.  I'd  never  have  thought  of  the 
scheme  if  it  hadn't  been  for  you." 


hh' 


A  PLOT. 


377 


Miss  Bessie  laughed  lightly,  as  she  re- 
plied :  "  Wait  till  the  end  comes.  We 
don't  want  to  rejoice  too  soon." 

"  No,  I  suppose  we  don't ;  but  it's  as  good 
as  done  now.  I  wonder  what  Bob  will  have 
to  say  when  he  finds  he's  the  one  to  be 
taught  a  good  lesson  this  time  ?  He'll  rue 
the  day  he  tried  to  teach  me." 

'^  You  don't  think  he'll  be  angry,  do  you  ?  " 
inquired  the  girl,  somewhat  anxiously. 

"  Angry  ?  No,  he  won't  be  angry.  You 
can  rost  assured  that  if  Bob  can  keep  it  to 
himself,  not  another  soul  will  ever  hear  of 
it.  The  only  thing  I'm  a,fraid  of  is,  that 
he'll  manage  somehow  to  get  out  of  it  with- 
out any  one  seeing  him.  He's  sharp,  Bob 
is ;  and  the  way  he  can  twist  things  and 
turn  them  against  a  fellow  beats  all." 

"  I  believe  you're  afraid  to  go  on,  now 
that  we've  got  everything  ready." 

"Afraid?  Afraid  'of  what?  I'm  not 
afraid  of  anything  except  that  Bob  may 
get  out  of  it  without  being  seen.  That 
would  almost  break  my  tender  heart.  But 
if  we  don't  start  pretty  soon,  some  one 
will  come  in  here,  and  the  whole  thing  will 
fizzle  out." 

Miss   Bessie  quickly  thrust   the   bundle 


t: 


378    HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  8T.   LAWRENCE. 


I      1 


i  n 


<!i 


.  i 


ii 


I      i| 


,  (' 


'  I 


into  a  basket,  and  covered  it  over  with 
some  of  the  things  which  were  necessary 
for  the  day,  and  ihen  Bert  lifted  the  bur- 
den in  his  hand,  and  together  they  started 
for  the  dock,  where  their  friends  were 
already  assembled. 

"  You're  late,"  shouted  Ben,  as  the  two 
approached.  "  What  mischief  have  you 
been  plotting  now?  What  have  you  in 
that  basket  ?  " 

"  You'll  learn  at  the  proper  time,"  re- 
sponded Miss  Bessie,  as  she  deposited  the 
basket  with  the  provisions,  leaving  it,  as 
Bert  afterward  suggested,  so  exposed  that 
Bob  would  be  certain  to  discover  its  con- 
tents. She  explained  that  she  had  left  it 
as  she  did  purposely,  and  that  its  presence 
would  be  ignored  fo**  the  very  reason 
that,  to  all  appearances,  it  had  nothing  to 
conceal. 

It  was  about  noon-time  when  the  party 
arrived  at  the  destination  which  had  been 
agreed  upon.  There  dinner  was  prepared, 
and  for  a  time  Bert  was  fearful  that  the 
plot  had  been  discovered,  for  it  was  seldom 
that  Bob  had  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the 
occasion  as  he  was  then  doing.  He 
laughed  and   told   stories,   and  made   fre- 


A  PLOT. 


379 


quent  references  to  the  curiosity  of  some 
people  concerning  the  traditions  and  reports 
that  concerned  the  very  island  upon  which 
they  had  landed.  It  was  true,  he  did  not 
speak  of  the  story  of  the  lost  cannon,  but 
there  were  many  indirect  references  to  mat- 
ters which  Bert  well  understood  were 
thrusts  at  himself ;  and  when  he  glanced 
slyly  at  Miss  Bessie,  he  perceived  that 
that  demure  young  lady  apparently  did  not 
see  the  deeper  meaning  in  Bob's  words 
at  all. 

After  dinner,  when  all  were  seated  on  the 
ground,  on  a  high  bluff  near  the  shore, 
Miss  Bessie  was  suddenly  seized  with  a 
desire  to  row  around  the  island.  '^  I've 
been  past  here  lots  of  times,"  she  declared, 
"  but  I've  never  been  close  to  tlie  shore. 
Mr.  Bliss,  do  you  think  you  can  row  well 
enough  to  take  me  in  a  skiff  without  tip- 
ping over?  If  you  do,  I  wish  you'd  go 
with  me." 

"  Delighted  !  "  murmured  Bert,  as  he 
made  a  sudden  dive  from  the  midst  of  the 
company. 

In  a  brief  time  he  had  secured  one  of 
the  two  skiffs  which  the  yacht  had  in  tow, 
and   had   received   Miss   Bessie   on   board. 


I 


;■::( 


380     HOUSE- BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

Apparently  this  departure  had  been  ignored 
by  the  others,  but  Bert  nevertheless  glanced 
apprehensively  about  him,  as  he  grasped 
the  oars,  and  prepared  to  start. 

"  Have  you  the ?  "  he  inquired  in  a 

low  voice. 

The  young  lady  nodded  her  head,  and  in 
a  moment  the  skiff  was  moving  swiftly  over 
the  water.  Up  to  the  head  of  the  island  Bert 
rowed,  and  then  turning  the  point,  rowed 
more  slowly,  as  the  skiff,  swept  on  by  the 
current,  skirted  the  other  shore.  As  he 
came  near  to  certain  well-remembered  spots, 
he  rested  on  his  oars,  and  after  glancing 
keenly  at  the  trees  on  the  island,  and 
down  into  the  depths,  he  said:  — 

*^  This  is  the  place.  Miss  Bessie.  Be 
quick,  or  some  one  will  see  us.  I'm  half 
afraid  Bob  will  come  across  the  island  and 
see  us  yet." 

The  girl  took  the  bundle  from  the  bottom 
of  the  skiff,  and  untying  the  knot  into 
which  the  towel  that  held  all  had  been 
tied,  she  said,  "  Shall  I  put  everything  in 
one  place,  or  shall  I  scatter  it  ? " 

"  Drop  tiie  most  in  one  spot,  then  scatter 
the  rest.     It'll  be  like  baiting  up  the  fish." 

In  response  she  took  many  little  pieces 


Im 


A  PLOT. 


381 


of  bright  y  polished  tin  and  b-ass,  and 
dropped  them  into  the  water.  "  I  can  see 
them  she  declared,  as  she  peered  over  the 
side  of  tlie  boat,  and  gazed  at  the  bottom. 

Grood!     Drop  a  few   more,  and  we'll 
scatter  the  rest." 

As  soon  as  this  had  been  accomplished, 
Bert  rowed  swiftly  back  to  the  place  where 
their  friends  had  been  left;  but  his  own 
consternation  was  as  great  as  that  of  Miss 
Bessie  when  he  learned  that  Bob  and  Jed 
had  aken  the  other  skiff,  a  few  minutes 
after  their  own  departure,  and  had  gone,  no 
one  seemed  to  know  where. 


!''!  1^ 


P. 


I 


ii'm^ 


I        ! 


I 


1  t.    ^ 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


"all  that  glitters  is  not  gold." 

The  return  of  Bert  and  Miss  Bessie  with 
the  skiff, had  at  once  aroused  a  desire  on 
the  part  of  other  members  of  the  party  to 
indulge  in  a  row  among  the  islands,  which 
here  were  very  numerous,  and  not  so  large 
as  they  were  in  other  parts  of  the  river. 

As  the  young  people  came  running  down 
to  the  shore,  Bert  made  a  wry  face,  and  in 
a  low  voice  said  to  his  companion :  "  It's 
too  bad,  but  I'll  have  to  resign  my  place, 
for  Jock  or  Ben  will  want  to  row.  I'm 
sorry,  for  I  wanted  to  go  around  to  the 
other  side,  and  I  haven't  any  doubt  that  we 
should  find  Bob  and  the  boatman  there. 
It's  too  bad,  but  it  can't  be  helped." 

"Never  mind,"  responded  Miss  Bessie. 
"I'll  tell  you  what  to  do;  you  just  go  across 
the  island,  —  it  isn't  very  far, — and  you  can 
see  from  the  shore  what's  going  on ;  that  is, 
if  anything  is  really  going  on  there.     I'll 

382 


"^LL   THAT  GLITTERS  IS  NOT  GOLD.' 


383 


stay  in  the  skiff,  and  I'm  sure  I  can  ar- 
range it  so  that  everybody  will  want  to 
row  around  the  island.  If  we  should  come 
upon  them  just  when  you  got  there,  and 
we  should  all  find  them  looking  after 
that  glittering  gold  — "  The  young  girl 
laughed  at  the  thought,  and  as  at  that  mo- 
ment the  friends  arrived  at  the  shore,  she 
ceased  speaking,  and  turned  to  listen  to  the 
words  of  the  eager  group. 

"  It's  too  bad  Bob  and  Jed  have  gone  off 
in  the  other  skiff,"  said  Jock,  regretfully. 
"  There'd  be  room  enough  for  every  one,  if 
we  only  had  that  boat,  too.  You  stay  and 
take  my  place,  Bert." 

**  Thank  you,  not  this  day,"  replied  Bert, 
as  he  leaped  ashore.  "  I've  been  around 
the  island  once,  and  it's  the  most  beautiful 
ride  I  ever  had.  I  don't  want  to  deprive 
you  all  of  that  pleasure." 

Instantly  there  was  a  desire  expressed  by 
the  girls  who  filled  the  skiff  to  take  the 
route  indicated  by  the  artful  Bert ;  and  Jock 
and  Ben,  both  of  v/hom  were  rowing,  at 
once  headed  the  skiff  toward  the  upper  end 
of  the  island. 

"  Be  careful !  "  called  Mr.  Clarke,  as  he 
saw  the  load  start.     "You've  a  heavy  cargo 


884     nOU8E'BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


|)  .'r 


on  board.  The  current  is  very  swift  in 
pLaces." 

"  We'll  be  careful,"  shouted  Jock,  in 
reply. 

The  skiff  was  moving  slowly  against 
the  strong  current,  and  it  required  all  the 
efforts  of  both  the  young  oarsmen  to  make 
much  progress.  The  boat,  however,  moved 
steadily,  forward,  and  as  soon  as  it  ap- 
proached the  head  of  the  island  Bert 
turned  and  ran  swiftly  across  the  island, 
toward  the  opposite  shore,  where  he  hoped 
to  discover  both  Bob  and  Jed. 

As  he  ran,  he  was  thinking  of  the  scheme 
which  he  and  Miss  Bessie  had  concocted 
for  the  dire  punishment  of  Bob;  for  Bert 
had  told  his  friend  of  the  lesson  his  class- 
mate had  endeavored  to  teach  him.  It  is 
true.  Miss  Bessie  had  laughed  heartily  at 
the  recital,  and  even  Bert  had  been  com- 
pelled to  smile  glumly,  as  he  '.old  of  the 
number  of  times  he  had  plunged  into  the 
cold  waters  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  how 
Bob  had  urged  him  to  continue  his  efforts 
even  after  his  teeth  were  chattering  from 
the  cold.  All  that  could  be  forgiven,  how- 
ever ;  but  the  time  for  fasting  and  medita- 
tion which  Bob  had  secured  for  his  friend, 


"^Li   THAT  GLITTERS  IS  NOT  GOLD.''      385 


in 


in 


when  he  had  left  him  alone  on  the  island, 
was  another  matter  entirely,  and  could  not 
be  passed  over  in  silence.  Perhaps  the  les- 
son had  been  deserved  ;  but  as  Bert  thought 
of  the  possible  uses  to  which  the  story 
might  be  put,  and  the  bantering  of  his  col- 
lege mates  if  once  they  should  learn  of  the 
occurrence,  he  knew  that  his  only  hope  of 
safety  lay  in  imparting  a  lesson  equal  to 
that  which  he  himself  had  received. 

As  a  result  of  his  deliberations,  aided  by 
the  quick-witted  girl,  it  had  been  decided 
to  secure  a  lot  of  pieces  of  bright  tin  and 
brass,  and  by  dropping  them  into  the  water 
near  the  places  where  the  sunken  cannon 
were  supposed  to  be,  perhaps  the  renewed 
efforts  on  the  part  of  Bob  and  the  boatman, 
if  they  should  discover  the  glittering  bits 
in  their  search,  might  lead  to  results  which 
would  either  cause  Bob  to  be  silent,  or  else 
leave  such  a  balance  in  Bert's  favor  that  he 
himself  would  feel  safe  to  refer  to  the  event, 
and  place  the  keen-witted  Bob  upon  the  de- 
fensive. That  would  be  a  result  worth  striv- 
ing for,  for  it  was  seldom  that  any  one 
succeeded  in  getting  the  better  of  Bob. 

The  bits  of  shining  metal  had  been 
secured,  and,  as  we  know,  that  very  morn- 

2o 


w 


880     lIOUHE-liOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


1  I J 


V    E( 


ing  had  been  placed  "  where  they  would  do 
the  most  good,"  as  Bert  tersely  expressed 
it.  And  now  all  that  remained  was  to  dis- 
cover whether  the  bait  had  been  taken  and 
Bob  and  the  boatman  had  been  led  to  make 
exertions  which  would  be  a  never  ending 
source  of  delight  to  Bert  and  all  to  whom 
he  chose  to  disclose  his  secret. 

As  the  eager  boy  ran  swiftly  across  the 
island,  he  could  not  keep  himself  from 
wondering  how  it  was  that  the  usually 
cool  Bob  had  become  so  determined  in  his 
search  for  the  mythical  cannon.  He  forgot 
all  about  his  own  eagerness ;  but  then  that 
was  not  unlike  Bert,  as  all  his  friends  well 
knew.  The  fires  in  his  heart  burned  fiercely, 
but  soon  burned  themselves  out.  The 
steady  determination  of  the  more  resolute 
Bob  wss  an  element  he  lacked,  and,  indeed, 
failed  to  comprehend. 

By  this  time  ho  had  come  close  to  the 
shore  he  was  seekt^ig,  and  at  once  became 
more  cautious  in  his  movements ;  for  to  be 
discovered  then  would  frustrate  every  plan, 
and  might  place  himself  in  the  very  pre- 
dicament in  which,  with  no  ill-will,  and  with 
apparent  generosity,  he  was  entirely  willing 
that  his  classmate  should  be  found. 


**ALL   THAT  GLITTERS  IS   NOT  (iOLI)/'      387 


The  clump  of  cedar  trees  within  which  he 
stopped  had  a  decidedly  familiar  aspect. 
It  was  here  that  he  had  donned  the  suit  of 
clothing  on  that  well-remembered  morning, 
and  for  a  brief  moment  had  given  his  friend 
such  great  credit  for  his  thoughtfulness  —  a 
feeling  which  had  suddenly  departed  when 
he  came  to  understand  the  exact  condition 
of  affairs,  and  had  discovered  that  Bob  had 
deserted  him,  leaving  him  to  his  "  fasting 
and  meditation,"  as  if  he  had  been  of  no 
more  account  than  the  rocks  on  the  river 
bottom. 

The  memory  of  his  wrongs  increased 
Bert's  eagerness,  but  even  then  he  was 
hardly  prepared  for  the  sight  that  greeted 
his  eyes  when  he  peered  forth  from  among 
the  cedars ;  for  there,  not  more  than  five 
yards  from  the  shore,  and  directly  in  front 
of  him,  was  the  skiff  he  was  seeking,  and  in 
it  were  Bob  and  the  boatman.  Jed  held  the 
oars,  but  he  was  not  rowing,  and  was  only 
holding  the  head  of  the  boat  down  the 
stream,  allowing  the  cuue  o  to  carry  them 
onward  by  its  own  motion.  Both  men  were 
peering  into  the  depth  of  the  river  with  an 
eagerness  that  was  highly  pleasing  to  the 
watching  Bert,  and  it  was  only  with   the 


ii.il 


388     nOUSE-liOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


\l   U 


greatest  difficulty  that  he  restrained  his 
impulse  to  shout  and  encourage  the  L^eekers, 
by  pointing  out  the  spot  where  they  might 
discover  something  to  their  own  advan- 
tage. 

However,  he  remained  silent ;  for  both 
were  speaking  now,  and  though  their  tones 
were  low,  their  words  could  be  distinctly 
heard. 

^'I  b'lieve  I'm  abeout  ready  to  give  up 
the  whole  thing,"  Jed  was  saying. 

"  You  don't  want  to  give  up,  after  all  the 
work  we've  put  in  it,"  said  Bob. 

''  I  don't  want  to,  but  I  guess  I'll  have  to, 
whether  I  want  to  or  not." 

''  The  game  isn't  lost  till  the  last  man 
is  out." 

'^  I'm  afeared  that  time's  come." 

"  No,  no.  Just  think  how  Bert  and 
Ethan  will  :eel  when  they  see  us  come 
home  with  a  boat  full  of  gold." 
'  The  watching  Bert  hugged  himself  in  his 
delight  as  he  heard  himself  referred  to,  and 
the  impulse  to  shout  became  almost  uncon- 
trollable. By  a  supreme  effort  he  mastered 
the  desire,  and  then  leaned  forward  to  listen 
more  intently,  for  the  current  was  bearing 
the  skiff  down  the  stream,  and   the  men 


''ALL   THAT  aLITTEIiS  18  NOT  GOLD. 


e389 


would  soon  be  lost  to  sight  and  hearing 
botli. 

"  I'm  not  thinkin'  o'  Ethan,"  replied  Jed. 
'*  I'm  a  thinkin'  o'  myself.  I  wonder  heow 
I'd  feel  if  Etlrn  should  find  eout  wliat 
we've  been  up  to.  He'd  have  the  laugh  on 
me,  that's  what  he  would,  and  I  wouldn't 
never  hear  the  last  on  it,  no  time,  never, 
nohow." 

*•  Ethan  won't  hear  of  it  if  we  fail,  and  if 
we  succeed  we  shan't  care  how  much  he 
hears." 

"  HeovjT  d'ye  know  he  won't  hear  of  it  if 
we  fail  ?  " 

*'  Because  Bert  is  the  only  one  who  knows 
anything  about  it,  and  he  won't  speak  of  it. 
You  may  rest  assured  of  that,  for  I've 
taught  him  a  lesson  he  won't  forget  very 


soon. 


>> 


"  No,  he  won't  forget  it,  that's  right," 
murmured  Bert,  in  his  hiding-place ;  *'  and 
unless  I'm  greatly  mistaken,  he  won't  be» 
the  only  one,  either" 

The  skiff  had  by  this  time  drifted  so  far 
away  that  the  words  of  the  men  could  no 
longer  be  heard ;  but  Bert  could  see  that 
they  were  still  peering  down  into  the  water 
with  an  eagerness  as  keen  as  that  which 


\J 


Ui 


llil 

•     r- 

III 

■H 

! 

vi^H  S 

3  .'  ^ 

-| 

tUgk  fk 

s  ;  ;i 

.  i- ' 

' 

Hi 

|::i,V 

1^^ 

Mi^y 

■ 

890     HOUSE-BOAT  ON   THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

they  had  displayed  when  they  had  been  nearer 
the  place  where  he  was  concealed.  If  they 
should  not  return,  the  lesson  would  still  be 
lost ;  and  at  the  thought  Bert  stepped  farther 
out  toward  the  shore.  The  place  where  he 
and  Miss  Bessie  had  dropped  the  glittering 
bits  of  tin  had  been  a  few  feet  farther  out 
in  the  stream  than  the  course  Bob  and  the 
boatman  had  followed,  and  their  efforts 
would  be  in  vain  if  the  skiff  did  not  return. 

Bert  waited  impatiently,  as  he  watched 
the  skiff,  and  his  delight  was  great  whui 
he  perceived  that  his  desires  were  to  be 
realized;  for  already  Jed  had  turned  the 
boat  about  and  was  comijag  back,  this  time 
a  little  farther  out  in  the  stream.  If  they 
kept  on  until  they  were  as  far  up  the  stream 
as  the  cedars  ar^ong  which  Bert  was  stand- 
ing, they  must  surely  discover  thcj  shining 
bits  on  the  bottom  of  the  river. 

Bert  stepped  hastily  back,  though  he 
could  still  see  the  boat  and  the  men  plainly. 
The  time  for  which  he  had  been  waiting 
was  surely  approaching  now,  he  thought. 
The  very  sunlight  seemed  to  favor  him, 
for  seldom  in  all  the  summer  had  the  sun 
been  shining  more  brightly.  The  water 
beneath  it  became  almost  as  clear  as  the 


i? 


''ALL   THAT  GLITTERS  IS  NOT  COLD.''     391 


'cX 


linly. 

biting 

jht. 

him, 

5im 

^ater 

the 


'if 


^ 


air,  and  the  rocks  and  fallen  trees  and 
darting  fish  could  all  be  plainly  discerned. 
Apparently  no  one  was  in  the  vicinity,  and 
the  intense  silence  was  broken  only  by  the 
sourd  of  the  low  voices  of  Bob  and  Jed, 
and  the  occasional  stroke  of  the  oars,  as 
the  boatman  slowly  drove  the  skiff  up  the 
stream. 

They  were  approaching  the  very  place 
now,  and  Bert's  excitement  became  more 
and  more  intense.  If  they  would  only 
keep  on  until  they  were  over  the  spot  into 
which  the  tin  had  been  cast !  Bert  felt 
somehow  that  he  would  willingly  resign 
all  that  fame  and  fortune  might  liave  in 
store  for  him  if  only  they  would  do  that. 
Yes,  they  were  surely  coming  nearer,  and 
apparently  there  was  no  purpose  to  change 
their  course.  In  a  moment  more  they  were 
directly  over  the  place,  and  Bert's  heart 
almost  stood  still  as  for  a  moment  he 
thought  they  were  to  go  on  without  per- 
ceiving the  "  bait "  which  had  been  pre- 
pared for  their  special  benefit.  Suddenly 
Bob  partly  rose  from  his  seat  in  the  stern 
of  the  skiff,  and  leaned  farther  over  the 
side,  as  he  peered  eagerly  down  into  the 
depths  below.     Something  certainly  out  of 


392    HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


:rv  i: 


h'lii 


the  ordinary  had  attracted  his  attention; 
and  the  watching  Bert,  who  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  understanding  what  that  "some- 
thing'' was,  leaned  farther  out  from  the 
clump  of  cedars,  as  he  watched  the  move- 
ments of  the  men  in  the  skiff. 

Bob  was  evidently  greatly  excited,  and 
said  something  to  his  companion  which 
caused  him  instantly  to  rest  on  his  oars 
and  join  with  his  friend  in  gazing  into  the 
water  beneath  them.  What  they  saw  still 
further  aroused  them,  and  in  a  moment 
Bob  stood  up  and  said,  in  a  tone  which 
Bert  could  plainly  hear:  — 

"  Now,  Jed,  what  do  you  think  of  that  ? 
Doesn't  that  pay  for  all  the  waiting  ?  " 

Jed  was  too  much  excited  to  make  any 
coherent  reply,  but  kept  the  boat  moving 
slowly  up  and  down  over  the  place  where 
the  bits  had  been  scattered. 

"Now,  Jed,"  said  Bob,  rvith  increasing 
excitement,  "just  think  how  many  times 
we've  been  over  this  spot,  and  since  the 
first  day  haven't  been  able  to  get  a  sight 
of  it.     Can  you  see  the  cannon  ?  " 

"No.  I  don't  see  no  cannon  nowhere," 
replied  the  boatman. 

"  That's  strange,  for  I  can't  see  it,  either. 


k 
i 


'''•ALL  THAT  GLITTERS  IS  NOT  GOLD.''     393 

Probably  we'll  find  it  all  right  enough. 
Now,  Jed,  you  hold  the  boat  here,  and  I'll 
go  down  and  investigate.  I  can't  swim  as 
well  as  Bert  can,  and  I  almost  wish  we  had 
the  fellow  here  now." 

"  He's  here  all  right  enough,"  murmured 
Bert.  "  He  wouldn't  miss  this  fun  for  all 
the  shotted  cannon  Frontenac  ever  had." 

Bob  quickly  removed  his  shoes  and  stock- 
ings, and  laying  aside  his  coat,  hesitated  for 
a  moment,  and  then  dropped  as  he  was  into 
the  water. 

"  Glorious !  Glorious ! "  murmured  Bert, 
in  his  delight.  "  Keep  it  up !  I  wouldn't 
be  a  bit  discouraged  if  I  were  you.  There'll 
be  plenty  of  time  for  fasting  and  meditation 
afterward.  T^et  me  see,  I  went  down  sev- 
enteen times.  I  hope  you'll  make  it  twenty. 
Bob." 

Bob  by  this  time  had  returned  to  the 
surface,  but  it  was  evident  that  his  effort 
to  gain  the  bottom  lad  been  unavailing. 
In  a  moment,  however,  and  after  a  brief 
rest,  he  released  his  hold  upon  the  side  of 
the  skiff,  and  again  disappeared  beneath 
the  water. 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 


•h 


(  ( 


l.;!i. 


CONCLUSION. 

Despite  his  efforts,  Bob  was  not  able  to 
remain  on  the  bottom  of  the  river  long 
enough  to  grasp  any  of  the  glittering 
pieces  of  metal.  The  water  was  deep,  and 
the  current  swift,  and  as  he  was  not  an 
expert  swimmer,  he  soon  concludt.d  that  his 
efforts  would  be  useless. 

The  boatman  then  made  the  attempt, 
first  having  removed  his  shoes  and  stock- 
ings, but  it  was  not  until  he  had  made  the 
third  descent  that  he  succeeded  in  return- 
ing to  the  surface  with  one  of  the  coveted 
bits  in  his  hand.  By  the  aid  of  his  com- 
panion he  clambered  into  the  boat,  and  as 
he  held  forth  his  prize.  Bob  took  it,  exam- 
ined it  eagerly,  and  then  in  a  tone  of 
disgust,  which  was  clearly  heard  by  Bert 
on  the  bank,  said :  — 

"  Pshaw  !     It's  nothing  but  tin." 

"Isn't  it  silver  ?"  inquired  Jed,  anxiously. 

304 


CONCLUSION. 


395 


*'  No  more  silver  than  I  am.  It's  tin, 
nothing  but  tin.  If  we'  looked  carefully, 
we  might  have  known  it.  I  wonder  how 
these  pieces  came  to  be  there  ? "  he  added 
quietly. 

Bert,  meanwhile,  had  at  that  moment 
perceived  the  other  skiff  approaching,  and 
as  he  knew  its  occupants  were  able  to  see 
the  sight  which  he  himself  beheld,  he 
stepped  forth  from  his  hiding-place  and 
shouted  in  a  voice  which  could  have  been 
heard  far  up  the  river :  — 

"Ha!  Ha!  'All  that  glitters  is  not 
gold.'  Permit  me  to  congratulate  you,  my 
friends,  upon  the  success  which  has  crowned 
your  efforts.  *  Perseverance  and  all  that 
sort  of  thing,'  you  know.' 

Both  Bob  and  Jed  looked  up  quickly  at 
the  unexpected  hail,  and  instantly  Bob 
understood.  Quickly  repressing  any  irri- 
tation he  might  have  felt,  he  laughed  good- 
naturedly  as  he  said :  — 

"  Then  you're  the  villain  in  the  play,  are 
you  ?  I  might  have  known  it.  We'll  call 
it  quits,  Bert." 

"  Quits  ?  Quits  ?  I  quit  a  long  time  ago. 
I  did  my  best  to  induce  you  to  follow  my 
worthy  example;    but  when  a  man  gets 


396     nOUSE'BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 


il!'. 


■■^:iii 


bitten  with  this  money  madness,  there's  no 
knowing  what  will  come  of  it.  Hi !  Come 
up  here  and  congratulate  Bob  on  his  dis- 
covery ! "  he  shouted  to  the  friends  in  the 
approaching  skiff. 

Bob  looked  up,  and  for  the  first  time 
became  aware  of  the  presence  of  the  other 
members  of  the  party.  For  a  moment  he 
hesitated,  as  if  he  was  about  to  grasp  the 
oars  and  seek  safety  in  flight ;  but  quickly 
realizing  that  there  was  no  escape  from  his 
predicament,  and  that  sooner  or  later  the 
outcome  must  be  met,  he  quickly  resolved 
to  face  matters  then  and  there. 

Assuming  an  air  of  indifference  he  was 
far  from  feeling,  he  laughed  and,  hold- 
ing up  to  view  the  little  piece  of  bright 
tin,  said :  "  That's  right.  Come  one,  come 
all ;  the  more  the  merrier." 

The  other  skiff  swiftly  came  alongside, 
but  it  was  evident  that  no  one  besides  Bert 
and  Miss  Bessie  was  aware  of  the  meaning 
of  the  strange  incident.  Both  Bob  and 
Jed  were  dripping  wet,  and  the  presence  of 
Bert  dancing  about  on  the  bank  only  added 
to  their  confusion. 

"Permit  me,  my  friends,"  called  Bert, 
^*  to  present  to  you  the  greatest  discoverers 


CONCLUSION. 


397 


of  modern  times.  Wealth,  untold  wealth, 
lies  all  along  this  great  river,  biit-no  longer 
is  it  to  be  allowed  to  remain  in  its  conceal- 
ment. The  great  historian,  Mr.  Bob  Dar- 
nell, after  making  his  learned  investigations 
into  the  career  of  Frontenac  and  Cartier, 
has  transferred  his  attentions  to  the  bottom 
of  the  St.  Lawrence.  Behold  the  evidences 
of  wealth  restored  from  the  buried  treas- 
ures !  The  shotted  cannon  no  longer  hides 
its  guilty  secret.  It  has  been  compelled  to 
disgorge,  and  as  a  slight  token  of  —  of  —  of 
—  its  munificent  marvellousness,  the  afore- 
said Bob  Darnell  will  hold  forth  to  yoiu* 
view  some  of  the  valuable  and  long-con- 
cealed treasure  he  has  recovered.  Come, 
Bob,  let  us  all  see  that  piece  of  tin." 

As  all  of  the  company  except  Miss  Bessie 
still  stared  blankly,  first  at  Bert,  and  then 
at  the  dripping  Bob,  as  if  they  were  not 
able-  yet  to  comprehend  the  meaning  of  the 
strange  scene.  Bob  rose  in  his  skiff,  and, 
holding  forth  the  bit  of  tin,  said  calmly  : 
"  What  Bert  means  is  just  this.  We  heard 
.hat  Frontenac,  or  some  of  the  early  French- 
men, had  buried  some  cannon  shotted  with 
gold  and  silver  somewhere  hereabouts  in 
the  river,  and  so  Jed  and  I  have  quietly 


li  V 


i    I 


!  ■•( 


;    !; 


.mil 


398   HOUSE-BOAT  on  the  st,  Lawrence. 

been  looking  up  the  spot.  We  weren't  the 
only  ones  interested,  as  Bert  can  explain  to 
you  if  he  will,  or  as  I  will  if  he  won't ;  but 
I'll  own  up  that  the  search  hasn't  amounted 
to  anything.  Some  one,  perhaps  Bert — or 
—  or  —  some  one  else  can  explain  how  these 
little  pieces  of  tin  found  their  way  here ;  " 
and  as  he  spoke.  Bob  looked  keenly  at  Miss 
Bessie,  who  only  laughed  merrily,  and  pre- 
tended to  ignore  the  question  in  his  eyes. 

'^  Paid  in  his  own  coin,"  shouted  Bert, 
delightedly. 

As  soon  as  the  party  understood  the 
purport  of  the  strange  discovery,  a  shout  of 
laughter  arose,  in  which  Bob  himself  joined, 
with  as  good  a  grace  as  he  could  assume. 
It  was  not  the  most  enjoyable  of  experi- 
ences ;  but  he  could  not  find  it  in  his  heart 
to  blame  Bert,  for  the  lad  certainly  had 
had  ample  cause  for  the  retaliation. 

After  a  few  minutes  had  passed,  Bob 
said :  "  The  house-boat  isn't  very  far  from 
here,  and  I  think  Jed  and  I  had  better  go 
back  there  and  get  some  dry  clothing. 
Shall  we  come  back  to  this  island,  or  will 
the  yacht  meet  us  there  ?  '* 

"  Do  you  really  want  to  abandon  the 
enterprise  ? "    inquired    Bert,   with    mock 


CONCLUSION. 


399 


eagerness.  ^'  After  so  many  attempts,  it 
seems  too  bad  to  give  it  up  now,  especially 
when  your  efforts  would  be  watched  with 
interest  by  a  great  and  appreciative  au- 
dience." 

"  We'll  bring  the  yacht  around  for  you," 
laughed  Miss  Bessie,  as  Bob  picked  up  the 
oars,  and  began  to  row  swiftly  away. 

"  I  say.  Bob,"  called  Bert,  "  there's  some 
more  tin  over  here.  Don't  you  want  to 
get  that,  too  ?  " 

But  Bob  made  no  reply,  and  soon  the 
skiff  was  lost  to  sight  among  the  islands. 

It  was  about  a  half-hour  afterward  when 
the  yacht  stopped  at  the  house-boat,  and 
took  Bob  on  board.  The  good-natured 
manner  in  which  he  received  the  bantering 
of  his  friends  soon  deprived  even  Bert  of 
the  pleasure  he  felt,  and  as  perhaps  he 
feared  to  carry  the  matter  too  far,  for 
reasons  which  he,  at  least,  well  understood, 
the  affair  war^  not  referred  to  after  Mr. 
Clarke  said  :  — 

"  Our  friend  Bob,  here,  is  not  the  only  one 
who  has  attempted  to  find  those  lost  can- 
non. Almost  every  summor  some  new  party 
searches  for  a  time,  but  always  without 
success.     I  fancy  there  is  no  doubt  as  to 


!    <    i 


'I  I 

4  '  ! 


1  t 

K~^^i 

k 

400     nOUSEBOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

the  fact  that  the  cannon  were  filled  with 
coin,  and  sunk  in  the  river  ;  but  there  is  no 
doubt,  either,  that  they  were  found  after- 
ward by  the  very  ones  who  had  concealed 
them.  At  all  events,  it  lends  an  air  of 
romance  to  a  summer  on  the  St.  Lawrence, 
and  though  I  don't  want  to  preach  to  you, 
if  you  shall  have  all  learned  the  lesson  that, 
as  a  rulcj  money  which  is  easily  gotten  is 
not  very  valuable,  perhaps  even  the  lost 
cannon  may  not  have  been  entirely  useless. 
There  is  only  one  safe  and  honest  rule  in 
life,  as  far  as  money  is  concerned,  and  tha+ 
is,  for  a  man  to  give  an  equivalent  in  val 
for  every  dollar  he  receives.  Then  and 
then  only  can  he  respect  himself,  and  feel 
that  he  deserves,  whether  he  receives  it  or 
not,  the  respect  of  his  fellows." 

Bob  made  no  reply,  although  he  knew 
that  as  far  as  he  was  concerned  there  had 
been  no  motive  in  his  heart  such  as  that  at 
which  Mr.  Clarke  had  hinted,  but  he  did 
not  deem  it  wise  to  attempt  to  explain  at 
that  time. 

Three  more  weeks  swiftly  followed  before 
the  return  of  our  boys  to  college.  Ethan's 
son,  Tom,  was  with  them  for  a  week,  and 
added  much  to  their  pleasure,  while   the 


CONCLUSION. 


401 


change  that  was  apparent  in  him  was  al- 
most as  great  a  source  of  delight  to  them  as 
i;  was  to  the  proud  Ethan  himself. 

"  Hum  !  "  remarked  Jed  one  day  to  Bob. 
"What  do  you  think?  Ethan's  goin'  a 
visitin'  this  winter  deown  to  New  York,  an' 
Tom's  goin'  to  pay  his  fare,  both  ways. 
Well,  Ethan's  never  been  out  o'  the  country 
afore,  an'  very  likely  he'll  enjoy  it.  I 
know  I  had  a  good  time  when  I  went  off 
deown  to  Mad'son  County  pickin'  hops.  I 
don't  bear  Ethan  no  <i:rudge,  an'  he  has  a 
right  to  feel  proud  o'  that  Tom  o'  his." 

The  days  were  still  more  filled  with 
pleasure  and  excitement,  as  blessings  are 
said  to  brighten  as  they  take  their  flight. 
The  fishing  continued  excellent,  the  canoe- 
ing and  sailing  never  lost  their  novelty, 
and  a  marked  variety  came  when,  in  the 
September  mornings,  the  boys  went  duck- 
shooting  on  Eel  Bay. 

All  these  experiences  soon  passed,  and 
remained  in  their  memory  as  parts  of  a, 
delightful  summer.  The  health-giving 
breezes,  the  tonic  of  the  bracing  air,  the 
effects  of  days  spent  on  the  open  river, 
were  not  lost,  however,  and  remained  as 
parts  of  a  renewed  life.     Doubtless  they 

2d 


fi? 


i* 


I  '  ! 


402     HOUSE-BOAT  ON  THE  ST.   LAWRENCE. 

all  contributed  to  the  success  of  the  follow- 
ing year  in  college,  where,  amidst  the  snow- 
clad  hills  of  the  Berkshires,  the  experiences 
of  the  summer  were  gone  over  again  many 
a  time,  and  apparently  never  lost  their 
freshness  or  charm.  So  enthusiastic  was 
Jock  over  the  two  summers  spent  with  his 
friends  on  the  wonderful  river  that,  after 
sundry  conferences  with  his  father,  he 
decided  upon  another  summer  there  which 
should  be  markedly  diiferent  from  its  pred- 
ecessors, and  unique  in  the  lives  of  the  four 
friends.  His  hopes  were  more  than  real- 
ized, but  the  experiences  do  not  properly 
belong  to  this  book. 


lie  i 


/    • 


.•1 


■4 1 


m 

mil 


,  J 


I 


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Illustrated.     Price  per  volume,  $I.25« 

1.    A  Aliasing  muiion)  or,  The  Advbntvrbs  op  Louis  Bbloradb. 
iM,    A  Millloiiaire  at  Sixteen)  or»  Thb  Cruisb  op  thb  "  Guardian 

Mother." 
•I.    A.  Young  Kniglit  Errant)  OR,  Cruising  in  thb  West  Indies. 
4.    Strange  Sights  Abroad ;  or,  Abvbnturbs  in  European  Waters* 

No  author  has  come  before  the  public  during'  the  present  generation  who 
has  achieved  a  larger  and  more  deserving  popularity  among  young  people  than 
••  Oliver  Optic."  His  stories  have  been  very  numerous,  but  they  have  been 
uniformly  excellent  in  moral  tone  and  literary  quality.  As  indicated  in  the 
g-eneral  title,  it  is  the  author's  intention  to  conduct  the  readers  ot  this  enter- 
taining series  "  around  the  world."  As  a  n'eans  to  this  2nd,  the  hero  of  the 
Story  purchases  a  steamer  which  he  names  the  "  Guardian  Mother,"  and 
with  a  number  of  guests  ahe  proceeds  on  her  voyage.  —  Christian  Work,  N.  Y. 


411-Ovep-the- World  Library*     By  Oliver  Optic. 
Series.     Illustrated.     Price  per  volume,  $1.25. 


Second 


1.   American  Boys  Afloat}  or.  Cruising  in  thb  Orient. 

S*    Tlie  Toung  JNTavigators  t    or,  Thb    Foreign   Cruisb    op   thb 

"Maud." 
3.    Up  and  Dovrn  tlie  UTile  \  or,  Young  Adventurers  in  Africa. 
4v    Asiatic  Breezes }  uk,  Students  on  thb  Wing. 

The  interest  in  these  stories  is  continuous,  and  there  is  a  great  variety  oi 
exciting  incident  woven  into  the  solid  information  which  the  book  imparts  so 
generously  and  without  the  slightest  suspicion  of  dryness.  Manly  boys 
nriU  welcome  this  volume  as  cordially  as  they  did  its  predecessors.  —  Boston 
Gasette. 


!Ul-Over-tbe- World  Library.    By  Oliver  Optic. 
ries.     Illustrated.     Price  per  volume,  $1.25. 


Third  Se- 


!•   Across  India}  or,  Live  Boys  in  thb  Far  East. 

SI.    Half  Round  tlie  World ;  or.  Among  thb  Uncivilized. 

3.  Four  Youngr  Explorers )  or,  Sight-Seeing  in  thb  Tropics. 

4.  Pacific  Sliores  j  or,  Adventures  in  Eastern  Sbas. 

Amid  such  new  and  varied  surroundings  it  would  be  surprising  indeed  if  the 
author,  with  his  faculty  of  making  even  the  commonplace  attractive,  did  not 
tell  an  intensely  interesting  story  of  adventure,  as  well  as  give  much  infontia' 
Ucn  in  regard  to  the  distant  countries  through  which  our  friends  pass,  and 
the  strange  peoples  with  whom  they  are  brought  in  contact.  This  book,  and 
indeed  the  whole  series,  is  admirably  adapted  to  reading  aloud  in  the  family 
circle,  eachvohime  containing  matter  which  will  interest  all  the  members  ol 
Ibe  fiunily.  —  Boston  Budget. 

^  AND  SHEPARO,  BOSTON,  SENO  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGUE  FREE. 


■  — n 


a  . 


OLIVER  OPTICS  BOOKS 


Second 


The  Bine  and  the  Gray — AfloaC     Ey  Oliver  Optic.    S1« 

volumes.     Illustrated.     Beautiful  binding  in  blue  and  gray, 

with  emblematic  dies.     Cloth.     Any  volume  sold  separately 

Price  per  volume,  $1.50. 

1.   Taken  by  the  Enemy.  4.    Stand  by  the  Union. 

^.   Within  the  Enemy's  I<IneB.     -   5.   Flgrhtingr  for  the  Rlsh^ 
3.    Oa  the  Blockade.  6.   A  Victorious  Union. 

jtlie  Blue  and  the  Gray — on  Ijand. 

1.  Brother  afcainst  Brother.  4.  On  the  Staff. 

9,  In  the  Saddle.  0.  At  the  Front. 

8.  A  liientenant  at  Eighteen*  0.  An  Undivided  Union* 

••There  never  has  been  a  more  Intrrestlng  writer  In  the  field  of  Juvenile 
literature  than  Mr.  W.  T.  Adams,  who,  under  his  well-known  pseudonym,  is 
known  and  admired  by  every  boy  and  girl  in  the  country,  and  by  thousands 
who  have  long  since  passed  the  ooundaries  of  youth,  yet  who  remember  with 
pleasure  the  genial,  interesting  pen  that  did  so  much  to  interest,  instruct,  and 
entertain  their  younger  years.  'The  Blue  and  the  Gray'  is  a  title  that  is  suf. 
ficiently  indicative  of  the  nature  and  spirit  of  the  latest  series,  while  the  name 
of  Oliver  Optic  is  sufficient  warrant  of  the  absorbing  stylo  of  narrative.  This 
series  is  as  brieht  and  entertaining  as  any  work  that  Mv.  Adams  has  yet  put 
forth,  and  will  be  as  eagerly  perused  as  any  that  has  borne  his  name.  It  would 
not  be  fair  to  the  prospective  reader  to  deprive  him  of  the  zest  which  comes 
from  the  unexpected  by  entering  into  a  synopsis  of  the  story.  A  word,  how- 
ever, should  be  said  in  regard  to  the  beauty  and  appropriateness  of  the  bindings 
which  makes  it  a  most  attractive  volume." — Boston  Budget, 

WoodvlUe  Stories.    By  Oliver  Optic.    Six  voluraes.    Illus- 
trated.   Any  volume  sold  separately.    Price  pe.  volume,  $1.25. 

1.  Blch  and  Hnmble;  or.  The  Mission  op  Berth  a  Grant. 

2.  In  School  and  Out;  or,  The  CoNquEST  of  Richard  Grant* 

3.  Watch  and  Wait;  or.  The  Young  Fugitives. 

4.  Work  and  Win;  or.  Noddy  Newman  on  a  Cruiss. 

5.  Hope  and  Have;  or,  Fanny  Grant  among  the  Indians 

6.  Haste  and  Waste;  or,  The  Young  Pilot  of  Lake  Champlain. 

••  Though  we  are  not  so  voung  as  '.e  once  were,  we  relished  these  stories 
almost  as  much  as  the  boys  "and  girls  for  whom  they  were  written.  They  werf 
really  refreshing,  even  to  us.  There  is  much  in  tnem  which  is  calculated  in 
inspire  a  generous,  healthy  ambition,  and  to  make  distasteful  all  reading  tend- 
ing to  stimulate  base  desires." — Fitchburg  Reveille, 

^Wie  Starry  Flag*  Series.    By  Oliver  Optic.    In  six  volumes. 

Illustrated.    Any  volume  sold  separately*    Price  per  volumet 

$1.25. 

1.  The  Starry  Flag;  or,  Tn«  Young  Fisherman  of  Caps  Ann. 
is.  Breakine  Away;  or.  The  Fortunes  of  a  Student. 

3.  Seek  and  Find;  or.  The  Adventures  of  a  Smart  Boy. 

4.  Freaks  of  Fortune;  or.  Half  round  the  World. 
6.  Make  or  Break;  or.  The  Kj<"i:  Man's  Daughter. 

6.  Down  the  Biver;  or,  Buck  Bradford  and  the  Tyrants. 

••Mr.  Adams,  the  celebrated  and  popular  writer,  familiarly  known  as  Ottvss 
Optic,  seems  to  have  inexhaustible  funds  for  weaving  together  the  virtues  of 
life;  and,  notwithstanding  he  has  written  scores  of  books,  the  same  freshness 
and  novelty  run  through  them  all.  Some  people  think  the  sensational  element 
predominates.  Perhaps  it  does.  But  a  book  ftir  young  people  needs  this,  ao4 
•o  long  as  good  sentiments  an?  inculcated  books  ought  to  be  read." 

lEE  AND  8HEPAR0,  BOSTON,  SEND  Qifilft  UUMPLETE  CAT/"  OeUE  FUEL 


i 


■■■■■I 


OLIVER  OPTICS  BOOKS 


Army  and  Navy  Stories.    By  Oliver  Optic.    Six  volumes. 

"illustrated.    Any  volume  sold  separately.    Price  per  volume. 

$1.25. 

1.  The  S«Xdler  Boy;  or,  Tom  Somers  in  the  Army. 
a.  The  8aUor  Boy;  or,  Jack  Somers  in  the  Navy. 

3.  The  Young  L>ieutenant;  or,  Adventures  of  an  Army  Officer. 

4.  The  Yankee  Middy;  or.  Adventures  of  a  Navy  Officer. 

5.  Flghtlnjf  Joe;  or.  The  Fortunes  of  a  Staff  Officer. 

6.  Brave  Old  Salt;  or.  Life  on  the  Quarter  Deck. 

"This  series  of  six  volumes  recounts  the  adveatures  of  two  brothers,  Tom 
and  Ja::k  Somers,  one  in  the  army,  the  other  in  the  navy,  in  the  great  Civil  War. 
The  romantic  narratives  of  the  fortunes  and  exploits  of  the  brothers  are  thrill- 
ing in  the  extreme.  Historical  accuracy  in  the  recital  of  the  great  events  of 
that  period  is  strictly  followed,  and  the  result  is,  not  only  a  library  of  entertain,  i 
ing  volumes,  but  also  the  best  history  of  the  Civil  War  for  young  people  ever 
written." 

Suat  Builders  Series.    By  Oliver  Optic.    In  six  volumes. 

Illustrated.    Any  volume  sold  separately.    Price  per  volume, 

$1.25. 

1.  All  Adrift;  or,  The  Goldwing  Club. 

«.  Snug:  Harbor;  or.  The  Champlain  Mechanics. 

3.  Square  and  Compasses;  or.  Building  the  House. 

4.  Stem  to  Stem;  or.  Building  the  Boat. 
6.  All  Taut;  or,  Rigging  the  Boat. 

6.  Ready  About;  or.  Sailing  the  Boat. 

••  The  series  includes  in  six  successive  volumes  the  whole  art  of  boat  buildiivg, 
boat  rigging,  boat  managing,  and  practical  hints  to  make  the  ownership  of^a 
boat  pay.  A  great  deal  of  useful  information  is  given  in  this  Boat  Builders 
Series,  and  in  "»ach  book  a  very  interesting  story  is  interwoven  with  the  infor- 
mation. Every  reader  will  be  interested  at  once  in  Dory,  the  hero  of  'All 
Adrift,'  and  dne  of  the  characters  retained  in  the  subsequent  volumes  of  the 
series.  His  friends  will  not  want  to  lose  sight  of  him,  and  every  boy  who 
makes  his  acquaintance  in  •  All  Adrifl '  will  become  his  friend." 

Ltivcrdale  Story  BoolfS.  By  Oliver  Optic.  Twelve  vol- 
umes. Illustrated.  Illuminated  covers.  Price:  cloth,  per 
set,  $3.60;  per  volume,  30  cents ;  paper,  per  set,  $2.00. 

1.  Lilttle  Merchant.  7.    Proud  anji  Lazy. 

».  Young  "VoyaRers.  8. 

3.  Christmas  Gift.  9. 

4.  Dolly  and  I.  10. 

5.  Uncle  Ben.  11. 

6.  Birthday  Party.  12. 


Careless  Kate. 
Bobinson  Crusoe,  Jr. 
The  Picnic  Party. 
The  Gold  Thimble. 
The  Do-Somethings. 


Riverdale  Story  Books.  By  Oliver  Optic.  Six  volumes. 
Illustrated.  Fancy  cloth  and  colors.  Price  per  volume,  30 
cents. 


1.  liittle  Merchant. 
Sr  Proud  and  L.azy. 
tt.    Young  Voyagers. 


4.  Careless  Kate. 

5.  Dolly  and  I. 
0.    Bobinson  Crusoe,  Jr. 

Flora  Lee  Library.  By  Oliver  Optic.  Six  volumes.  Illus- 
trated. Fancy  cloth  and  colors.  Price  per  volume,  30 
cents. 

1.  The  Picnic  Party.  "  4.    Christmas  Gift. 

2.  The  Gold  Thimble.  6.    Uncle  Ben. 

3.  The  Do- Somethings.  6.    Birthday  Party. 

These  are  bright  short  stories  for  younger  children  who  are  unable  trt  com 
prehend  the  Starry  Flag  Series  or  the  Army  and  Navy  Series.    But  they 
all  display  the  author's  talent  for  pleasing  and  intere?*-n jj  the  little  folks.    They 
are  all  fresh  and  original,  preaching  no  sermons,  but  inculcating  good  lessoM' 

.      UE  AND  8HEPARD,  BOSTON.  SEND  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGUE  FRFF. 


c  volumes, 
er  volume^ 


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